Notes on lung development in South African ghost frogs (Anura: Heleophrynidae)

Phillips, Jackson R.; Reissig, Jens; Nicolau, Gary Kyle

doi:10.1080/21564574.2023.2191602

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 28 publications

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“…Low water temperature is a key habitat requirement for larvae of mountain headwater stream-adapted anuran amphibians (e.g. Hossack et al 2023), and Ghost Frog tadpoles may be particularly reliant on low water temperature given their stunted lungs (Phillips et al 2023) and subsequent need for oxygenated, cold water. However, our results did not support water temperature or dissolved oxygen as significant drivers of H. rosei tadpole occupancy dynamics (Table 3).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fine-scale drivers of extinction risk: tadpole occupancy dynamics of the Table Mountain Ghost Frog ( Heleophryne rosei )

Weeber,

Altwegg,

Tarrant

et al. 2023

African Zoology

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fine-scale drivers of extinction risk: tadpole occupancy dynamics of the Table Mountain Ghost Frog ( Heleophryne rosei )

Weeber,

Altwegg,

Tarrant

et al. 2023

African Zoology

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Habitat and Respiratory Strategy Effects on Hypoxia Performance in Anuran Tadpoles

Phillips,

Nicolau,

Ngwenya

et al. 2024

Integrative and Comparative Biology

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A critical component of animal conservation in a changing world is an understanding of the physiological resilience of animals to different conditions. In many aquatic animals, hypoxia (low environmental oxygen levels) is a regular occurrence, but the likelihood and severity of hypoxia varies across habitats. Fast-flowing, stream-like habitats are never hypoxic, so long as flow is maintained. Do animals from such habitats retain the capacity to survive hypoxic conditions? We use aquatic frog tadpoles to test the effects of natural habitat on performance in hypoxia in an experimental framework, finding that stream-living tadpoles have reduced performance in hypoxia. Tadpoles also vary in lung presence, with some species able to breathe air during hypoxia. We found that among lunged tadpoles, air-breathing rates increase in hypoxia in pond-living species but not stream-living species. Lung presence was also found to influence hypoxia performance, as lungless, stream-living tadpoles were found to be especially vulnerable to hypoxia, while pond-living, lungless tadpoles appeared largely resilient to hypoxia. We consider the ramifications of our findings on conservation outlooks and strategies for frogs and their tadpoles, suggesting that stream-living tadpoles, and especially lungless, stream-living tadpoles, may be particularly at risk to factors that reduce stream flow. Thus, a primary goal for conservation and management of species with stream-living tadpoles should be the maintenance of year-round streamflow, which oxygenates waters and prevents hypoxia.

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The remarkable larval morphology of Rhaebo nasicus (Werner, 1903) (Amphibia: Anura: Bufonidae) with the erection of a new bufonid genus and insights into the evolution of suctorial tadpoles

Dias,

Phillips,

Pereyra

et al. 2024

Zoological Lett

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Tadpoles serve as crucial evidence for testing systematic and taxonomic hypotheses. Suctorial tadpoles collected in Guyana were initially assigned to Rhaebo nasicus through molecular phylogeny. Subsequent analysis of larval and adult morphological traits revealed synapomorphies within the clade encompassing R. nasicus and R. ceratophrys, prompting the recognition of a new genus described herein as Adhaerobufo. The new genus is distinguished from other bufonids by specific phenotypic traits including an enlarged, suctorial oral disc with distinct papillae arrangements, and the presence of certain muscles and narial vacuities at the larval stage. However, only a few adult external characteristics (e.g., enlarged eyelids, infraocular cream spot), seem to be reliably discriminative from related genera. This study underscores the significance of larval morphology in anuran systematics and offers new insights into the evolution of suctorial and gastromyzophorous larvae within bufonids.

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Notes on lung development in South African ghost frogs (Anura: Heleophrynidae)

Cited by 3 publications

References 28 publications

Fine-scale drivers of extinction risk: tadpole occupancy dynamics of the Table Mountain Ghost Frog ( Heleophryne rosei )

Fine-scale drivers of extinction risk: tadpole occupancy dynamics of the Table Mountain Ghost Frog ( Heleophryne rosei )

Habitat and Respiratory Strategy Effects on Hypoxia Performance in Anuran Tadpoles

The remarkable larval morphology of Rhaebo nasicus (Werner, 1903) (Amphibia: Anura: Bufonidae) with the erection of a new bufonid genus and insights into the evolution of suctorial tadpoles

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