Leptodactylodon ornatus subsp. ornatus Amiet 1971

Leptodactylodon ornatus ornatus Amiet, 1971

Two L. ornatus ornatus tadpoles were found on Mount Manengouba: ZMB 78502 (two tadpoles, Gosner stages 25 & 32, Ebonemin, 5°1’6.2”N, 9°46’16.8”E, 1447 m, 9 October 2011). The two individuals were found in a small river surrounded by farmbush vegetation at 1447 m (Fig. 2).

The description is based on the genotyped individual (ZMB 78502) at Gosner stage 32. Body length/total length ratio and description of tail tips was based on the non-genotyped specimen.

Morphology. Long slender tadpole with narrow and long muscular tail; body elliptical to almost parallel in dorsal and depressed in lateral view (Fig. 9 a, b); body length 26.0% of total length; body height 44.6% of body length; body width 56.2% of body length; maximum body width on level of spiracle insertion; snout truncate in dorsal view; nostrils nearly rounded, situated lateroventrally; nostrils equidistant from eye and snout tip; eye diameter 13.1% of body length; inter-orbital distance slightly exceeds inter-nostril distance; tail fins narrow; dorsal fin originating posterior (5.7 mm) to tail base, slightly deeper than ventral fin, reaching deepest point slightly posterior to mid-tail; ventral fin narrow, originates on level with tail base, reaches deepest point near tail tip; tail tip rounded; tail axis broad and muscular; body height 82.9% of total tail height; maximum height of tail axis 61.4% of total tail height; vent tube dextral; lateral sacs present, extending from spiracle to end of body, covering lower two thirds of flanks; short sinister spiracle, translucent, opening lateral, not visible in dorsal view, originating slightly posterior to mid-body; mouth opening frontal; labial tooth formula 0/0; both jaw sheaths completely keratinized; upper jaw sheath distinctly and strongly serrated, narrow, almost rectangular, edges with large, caniniform projections; lower jaw distinctly but less serrated, more massive than upper jaw, slightly bent, a lateral pair of caniniform projections, median part without needle-like cusps (Fig. 9 d); four distinct serrations abaxial to fangs; posterior lip large and broad bilobate, covered with 21 large and numerous small papillae; small papillae arranged along edge of the lower lip; large papillae arranged in two semicircular rows (Fig. 9 c); short, straight to depressed w-shaped skin fold on lower lip, just posterior to lower jaw sheath; oral disc width 41.5% of body length; mouth width 37.0% of oral disc width.

The tadpole at Gosner stage 25 measured 45.7 mm total length (body length: 11.9 mm; tail length: 33.8 mm). The more developed individual (Gosner stage 32) had a body length of 13.0 mm (tail incomplete). Amiet (1980) gives the size of three metamorphs as 14–16 mm.

Coloration in preservation. Light to dark brown; dorsal parts of body and in particular tail axis mottled with larger dark dots and densely covered with smaller dark speckles, lighter towards tail tip; anterior half of tail axis with median, longitudinal dark line; venter lighter; dorsal fin and posterior-most part of ventral fin mottled with dark spots, otherwise, particularly anterior part of ventral tail fin translucent cream-white.