Paa vicina ( Stoliczka, 1872 )

S9. Paa vicina ( Stoliczka, 1872) View in CoL ( fig. 20‒21 View Figure 20 View Figure 21 )

Larval series examined. WT 003, WT 005, WT 013 and WT 016 (Rupi Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary, Himachal Pradesh, India; 31.57307 N, 77.90182 E; 2360 m a.s.l.) and WT 007 (Biling Khad, Bir, Himachal Pradesh, India; 32.05935 N, 76.74644 E; 2184 m a.s.l.). The habitat preference for tadpoles of P. vicina was similar to that of P. minica . No algal growth in habitat. The tadpoles were found to feed on detritus material.

Notes. The taxonomic identity of tadpoles was confirmed by a partial sequence sequence of 16S rRNA (OQ079484) generated from the tadpole voucher after matching with sequences of taxonomically verified P. vicina (unpublished data). The larval description for this species made by Annandale (1908) does not fit with the current specimens.

External morphology. Description of a tadpole at Gosner stage 37 ( fig. 20a‒b View Figure 20 ). Body ovoid and globular in dorsal and lateral perspectives. Body length 34 % of total length; maximum body diameter at the centre of abdomen. Large bulging eyes dorsolateral in orientation. Distance between eye and nostril 41.5 % of distance between eye and snout. Nostril opening bean shaped with rim elevated, located and oriented dorsolaterally, closer to eye than to snout. Inter-narial distance 75.5 % of inter-orbital distance; distance between nostril and snout 19.4 % of body length. Spiracle sinistral; inner wall of tube formed but attached to body wall; tube orientation dorsolateral. Distance between spiracle and snout 66.1% of body length. Dorsal fin originating at junction between body tail, ventral fin originating at ventral terminus; dorsal fin taller than ventral fin; maximum height of caudal fin at distal end of tail; musculature linear till mid-length of tail, after which it starts to taper; posterior end of tail broadly rounded. Height of tail muscle 114.2 % of width at body-tail junction. Tail (caudal) musculature accounting for 72.8 % of height of tail. Opening of vent tube dextral. Lateral line visible. Glands absent on outer integument.

Oral disc anteroventral in location ( fig. 20c View Figure 20 ). Rostral width of oral disc 46.9 % of maximum body width, not emarginated with no indentation at lateral commissures; marginal papillae single rowed on upper labium and double rowed on lower labium; lower labium with continuous rows of marginal papillae, upper labium with discontinuous rows with a gap; submarginal papillae (5‒7) mainly concentrated at lateral commissures of upper labium, extending till A2 labial tooth row. LTRF A6(4)/P3(1); on upper labium, A2 row longest, followed by A1 being margin of upper labial lip and rest of labial tooth rows below A2 row decreasing in length (A3> A4> A5> A6); on lower labium, P2 longest and P3, smallest. Jaw sheaths heavily keratinized and uniformly serrated with large horny serrations.

Measurements of 44 tadpoles at various Gosner stages (25‒29, 31‒32, 36‒38, 45) are given in tab. 9 View Table 9 .

Coloration. In life, dorsal body dark brown, mottled with few large patches of melanophores. Ventral integument pale yellow with few melanophores on gular region. Ventral integument opaque; coiled gut coils faintly visible. Caudal fin spotted sparsely, mainly at anterior end. Both fins sparsely mottled, with dorsal fin more spotted than ventral fin.

Buccopharyngeal morphology. Buccal roof ( fig. 21a‒b View Figure 21 ). Buccal roof elongated and broad. Prenarial arena of roof with 12 large pustules arranged in an arch. Internal nares transverse, oriented anteromedially; gap between nares wide and almost the length of an individual nare; anterior wall pustulated, posterior wall smooth with no pustulation. Postnarial arena with three pairs of papillae; a long, smooth papilla present behind posterior wall of each nare oriented medially and a pair of pustulated papillae present on either side immediately before median ridge papillae oriented anteriorly. Median ridge triangular with bifid tip. Two pairs of lateral ridge papillae of equal length present perpendicular to median ridge papillae. BRA well defined with four pairs on lateral border of roof; about 60 pustules of variable sizes spread evenly in the BRA. Glandular zone broad and glandular. Dorsal velum margin discontinuous with few tiny projections.

Buccal floor ( fig. 21c‒d View Figure 21 ). Buccal floor triangular. Prelingual arena with two pustules and a papilla at posterolateral corners of jaw sheath; papilla with an irregular surface and pustules. Tongue anlage broad; two long lingual papillae present on tongue anlage; surface of lingual papillae smooth. BFA defined with 26‒30 long papillae beginning from buccal pockets and converging posteromedially; BFA composed of about 14‒16 pustules and papillae distributed randomly on the BFA. About 10 long papillae present anterior to buccal pockets laterally. Buccal pockets long, wide and obtuse; a buccal pocket papilla present on posterior margin of each buccal pocket. Ventral velum smooth with few undulating margins; four projections present on velum margin; median notch not prominent. Glottis exposed posterior to ventral velum.

Serrations ( fig. 21e View Figure 21 ) on both jaw sheaths conical, pointed and hypertrophied.

Oral angle of denticle ( fig. 21f View Figure 21 ) obtuse; sheath robust with a weak body; head broad and curved with six to eight ovate cusps.