Tadpole deposition behaviour in male stream frogsMannophryne trinitatis(Anura: Dendrobatidae)

Abstract

Male Mannophryne trinitatis transport their larvae on their backs to predator-free pools and deposit them there. The experiments reported here investigated M. trinitatis male deposition behaviour in containers placed near a heavily fish-populated stream at Mount Saint Benedict, northern Trinidad. Choice of deposition site was not related to height above or distance from the stream. The low mean number of tadpoles deposited in each container in the field and in a laboratory experiment indicated that most males tended not to deposit complete clutches in single pools. Deposition experiments in the laboratory with a choice of different-sized containers showed that deposition was pool size dependent, with more tadpoles deposited in larger containers. Deposition behaviour when given a choice of containers with leaf litter (a source of food and shelter) and with no leaf litter showed no significant preference. Tadpoles grown in different water volumes with different food sources revealed that tadpole growth was best in larger water volumes containing leaf litter. Regular tadpole inspections at a pool in the field established that most tadpoles present were the result of downstream movement.

The cyprinodont fish Rivulus (Aplocheiloidei: Rivulidae) in Trinidad and Tobago: molecular evidence for marine dispersal, genetic isolation and local differentiation

“…This study originated as a part of an investigation of interactions between the endemic Trinidadian frog, Mannophryne trinitatis and its predators (Downie et al. 2001; Jowers and Downie 2005; Jowers et al. 2006) that was extended to include the phylogenetic relations of the Golden Tree Frog, Phyllodytes auratus and M. trinitatis (M. J. Jowers unpublished data).…”

“…This study originated as a part of an investigation of interactions between the endemic Trinidadian frog, Mannophryne trinitatis and its predators (Downie et al 2001;Jowers and Downie 2005;Jowers et al 2006) that was extended to include the phylogenetic relations of the Golden Tree Frog, Phyllodytes auratus and M. trinitatis (M. J. Jowers unpublished data). Both of these studies found evidence of the longterm isolation of populations in areas or peaks of the Trinidad Northern Range mountains and, combined with the present study, they emphasize the importance of mountain refuges as a factor in speciation.…”

Tadpole transport logistics in a Neotropical poison frog: indications for strategic planning and adaptive plasticity in anuran parental care

“…In cases where tadpoles must be transported to water, parental care is even obligate for offspring survival. In situations where tadpole deposition sites are not commonly available inside parental territories, the transport of aquatic larvae over larger distances might impose considerable time and energy investments on the transporting parent (but see [ 22 ]). Particularly the combination of territoriality and terrestrial egg deposition might have played an important role in the evolution of parental care in frogs.…”

The Ecology of Male Egg Attendance in an Arboreal Breeding Frog, Chirixalus eiffingeri (Anura: Rhacophoridae), from Taiwan

“…Adults have been shown to discriminate among potential breeding sites on the basis of a number of variables. For example, the presence or density of predators at breeding sites has frequently been associated with oviposition avoidance (Jowers and Downie, 2005;Kats and Sih, 1992;Murphy, 2003a;Petranka et al, 1994;Resetarits and Wilbur, 1989). Some studies have also found a negative relationship between the density of conspecifics and oviposition-site preference (Crump, 1991;Murphy, 2003a;Resetarits and Wilbur, 1989;Spieler and Linsenmair, 1997).…”