Redescription of the tadpole of Macrogenioglottus alipioi (Anura: Cycloramphidae), a rare and endemic species of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Abstract

The monotypic genus Macrogenioglottus Carvalho include the species M. alipioi, described from Ilhéus, state of Bahia, Brazil (Carvalho, 1946). Its distribution comprises the Atlantic Forest domain (Ab’Sáber, 1967) in the northeastern and southeastern Brazil (Tiburcio et al., 2008). Abravaya and Jackson (1978) described briefly the tadpole of this species. Therefore, a more detailed description of the larval morphology is needed.

Reproductive notes and larval development of Macrogenioglottus alipioi (Anura: Odontophrynidae) from the northern Atlantic forest

“…When Abravaya and Jackson (1978) described the larval external morphology of Macrogenioglottus alipioi, they made only a brief comparison with some species of Odontophrynus. In addition, Lisboa et al (2011) reported some differences in relation to the population studied by Abravaya and Jackson but did not discuss it in the context of the family Odontophrynidae. Ten of the 11 species of Odontophrynus have their larvae described (Nascimento et al 2013and references therein, González et al 2014, Menegucci et al 2016, Costa et al 2017, Rocha et al 2017, Santos et al 2017a, Moroti et al 2022.…”

“…There are some reports on the biology and natural history of Macrogenioglottus alipioi (such as tadpole morphology, mating behavior, call and karyotype) that come from populations of the southeastern region of Brazil (Abravaya andJackson 1978, Silva et al 2003), in the southern limit of its distribution. There are also data about the tadpole from the extreme north distribution, in the area north of the São Francisco River (Lisboa et al 2011, Dubeux et al 2020and recently, Mira-Mendes et al (2020) published the calls and morphometric data from populations close to and from the type locality (Ilhéus, Bahia state), south of the São Francisco River. In order to know additional aspects of the population from the northern part of its distribution that may help to establish a more complete scenario of the taxonomic status of the genus and its relationships with the other members of the family Odontophrynidae, we present new reproductive data, including egg clutch, advertisement and release calls, and data on its larval development, from a population of M. alipioi in the north of the São Francisco River, northeastern Brazil.…”

“…In addition, to reduce a hypothetical bias of the environmental conditions of successive years on the development/growth of the tadpoles, we analyzed specimens from the same developmental stages collected in different years to take into account possible variations. Species identification was made by direct comparison with samples from the same locality used by Lisboa et al (2011) in the description of the larvae. We selected specimens to address all stages of development (sensu Gosner 1960), from the emergence of the spiracle (Stage 25) to complete atrophy of the tail (Stage 45), and then we grouped them following the developmental periods of Etkin (1968): premetamorphosis, prometamorphosis and metamorphosis.…”