Microhyla nilphamariensis ( Howlader, Nair, Gopalan & Merilä, 2015 )

S14. Microhyla nilphamariensis ( Howlader, Nair, Gopalan & Merilä, 2015) View in CoL ( fig. 30‒31 View Figure 30 View Figure 31 )

Larval series examined. WT 046‒050.31709 ( Wildlife Institute of India ( WII), Dehradun, Uttrakhand, India; 30.28414 N, 77.97547 E). Tadpoles of this species were collected in small water pools. The substratum in the pool was sandy with emergent vegetation GoogleMaps .

Notes. Taxonomic identity of tadpoles was confirmed by a partial sequence of 16S rRNA (OQ079493) generated from the tadpole voucher (WT 046). The sequence showed 1 % sequence divergence compared to the published Genbank sequence ( KP 072793 View Materials ) from a taxonomically identified specimen of Microhyla nilphamariensis . Currently, there is no known larval descriptions for M. nilphamariensis . However, numerous authors made tadpole descriptions for Microhyla ornata . Given the recent taxonomic revision of this group by Howlader et al. (2015), taxonomic studies are needed to ascertain the taxonomic identity of these larval descriptions.

External morphology. Description of a tadpole at Gosner stage 38. Body rounded with a truncated anterior in dorsal perspective; body triangular and depressed with a rounded anterior and a broadly rounded posterior in lateral perspective ( fig. 30a‒b View Figure 30 ). Body length 38.4 % of total length; maximum body diameter just behind eye margin, with body tapering beyond. Eyes large, located and oriented laterally; can be seen ventrally; distance between eye and nostril 66.6 % of distance between eye and snout. Nostril opening imperforate with several melanophores diffused around the location of nostrils; closer to snot than to eye; placed on either side along the medial of dorsum; inter-narial distance 16.3 % of inter-orbital distance. Naso-lacrimal gland visible between eye and nostril. Spiracle medial; opening located at posterior end of body on ventral side; internal wall of tube not formed; distance between spiracle and snout 96.7 % of body length. Opening of vent tube medial; embedded into ventral fin. Tail tip sharply pointed; musculature broad at body tail junction tapering beyond; ventral fin broader than dorsal fin. Dorsal fin originating at junction between body and tail, ventral fin originating at ventral terminus. Height of tail muscle 1.3 times width of tail muscle at body-tail junction. Tail (caudal) musculature accounting for 39.5 % of height of tail. Lateral line not visible. Glands absent on outer integument.

Oral opening anterior in location, visible dorsally and not emarginated ( fig. 30c View Figure 30 ). Lower labium folded into a U-shaped depression medially. Papillae (both marginal and submarginal) absent. Keratinized jaw sheath and labial tooth rows absent.

Measurements of 54 tadpoles at various Gosner stages (25‒44) are given in tab. 14.

Coloration. In life, dorsal body white and translucent; lateral and ventral side transparent. Anterior region of dorsum uniformly speckled with tiny melanophores concentrated along mid-dorsal line. Ventral integument devoid of melanophores. Caudal fin musculature uniformly speckled with melanophores till tail tip; anterior half of both fins transparent; thin line of pigmentation on ventral fin margin. Posterior region of caudal fin dotted with tiny melanophores.

Buccopharyngeal morphology. Buccal roof ( fig. 31a‒b View Figure 31 ). Prenarial arena of roof with one long and broad papilla along median axis; anterior portion of arena smooth. Internal nares rounded; gap between nares narrow, about half the length of each nare; anterior narial wall smooth and low (almost non-existent); two broad papillae on posterior narial wall; short papillae at lateral corner and a tall papilla near to medial. Lateral and medial ridge papillae absent. BRA defined by two pairs of BRA papillae posterolateral corner of BRA; border between BRA and glandular zone poorly defined. Secretory pits present along entire glandular zone. Margin of dorsal velum smooth, tall and continuous with no projections.

Buccal floor ( fig. 31c‒d View Figure 31 ). Prelingual arena smooth and composed of a pair of small palps on each side at posterior lateral corners of prelingual arena; papillae dilated with a smooth margin and oriented anteromedially. Tongue anlage broad and raised; lingual papillae absent. BFA well defined; four to five pairs conical papillae beginning anterior to buccal pockets and converging posterolateral; BFA papillae smooth and unbranched with posterior papilla being longest; BFA smooth. Buccal pocket opening broad; few pustules in region between tongue anlage and buccal pockets; pocket papillae. Ventral velum margin smooth with no projections. Glottis exposed on ventral velum.