Dendropsophus rossalleni

Dendropsophus rossalleni

External morphology. Description based on a tadpole at Stage 35 (LCS s/n). Total length 25.8 mm. Body elongate oval in dorsal view and triangular in lateral view (Fig. 30A, B). Snout rounded in dorsal view. Eyes small, positioned and directed laterally. Nostrils small, circular, laterally positioned near to snout, with opening anterolaterally directed, without a projection on the marginal rim. Oral disc (Fig. 30C) terminal, non-emarginate; marginal papillae blunt, biseriate row on the ventral margin of the posterior labium and uniseriate row lateroanteriorly, with dorsal and lateral gaps. Submarginal papillae absent. LTRF 0/0, and one anterior and a very wide posterior dermal ridge. Jaw sheaths narrow, finely serrated; anterior jaw sheath arch-shaped, posterior jaw sheath U-shaped. Spiracle single, sinistral, conical, short and wide, posteriorly directed, opening in the medial third of the body, with the centripetal wall fused to the body wall and of the same length as the external wall. Vent tube medial, fused to the ventral fin, with a dextral opening. Caudal musculature of moderate width; in lateral view gradually tapering to a pointed tip. Dorsal fin of moderate height, convex, and originating on the medial third of the body; ventral fin of moderate height, convex. Tail with flagellum.

Colour. In preservative body and caudal musculature creamy; fins translucent. In life body and tail transparent (as Hyla sp. 1; Hero 1990).

Natural history. Eggs were not observed in Central Amazonia. Gravid females of D. rossalleni from Peru contain between 73 and 162 mature ovarian eggs (Aichinger 1992). Tadpoles are found in temporary ponds in open areas or in lakes. Tadpoles are nektonic and are found in the late rainy season. In captivity tadpoles of D. rossalleni preyed upon tadpoles of Chiasmocleis (this study).

Comments. These tadpoles were described by Duellman (1978) from Ecuador, and were illustrated by Hero (1990) as Hyla sp. 1 (Plate 14), from Central Amazonia, Brazil, and by Lynch & Suárez-Mayorga (2011) from Colombia. There are no morphological differences between tadpoles illustrated by Hero (1990) and those herein characterized. Tadpoles illustrated by Lynch & Suárez-Mayorga (2011) differ from those herein characterized by presenting a row of marginal papillae only laterally. Tadpoles described by Duellman (1978) markedly differ from those herein characterized by presenting body ovoid, nostrils midway between the snout and the orbits, oral disc anteroventral with lateral folds, one row of marginal papillae with a dorsal gap, and LTRF 2(2)/3. These substantial differences raise doubts about the identification of the tadpoles described by Duellman (1978).