Nyctibatrachus cf. poocha (Biju, Van Bocxlaer, Mahony, Dinesh, Radhakrishnan, Zachariah, Giri & Bossuyt, 2011)

S17. Nyctibatrachus cf. poocha (Biju, Van Bocxlaer, Mahony, Dinesh, Radhakrishnan, Zachariah, Giri & Bossuyt, 2011) View in CoL ( fig. 35‒36 View Figure 35 View Figure 36 )

Larval series examined. WT 155.151011 ( Tea plantation near Wagman town, Kotayam, India; 9.68266 N, 76.90549 E). Tadpoles of this species were collected in a small stream with muddy substratum GoogleMaps .

Notes. Genetic data could not be generated from the tadpole vouchers. Nyctibatrachus cf. poocha was recorded from the area where the tadpoles were collected.

External morphology. Description of a tadpole at Gosner stage 38. Body elliptical and globular in dorsal and lateral perspectives ( fig. 35a‒b View Figure 35 ). Body length 33.2 % of total length; maximum body diameter at the centre of abdomen. Snout rounded in dorsal perspective and rounded in lateral perspective. Eyes large; located and oriented dorsolaterally; distance between eye and nostril 38.7 % of distance between eye and snout. Nostril opening oval with rim elevated; small protuberance present on the rim; closer to eyes than to snout, placed wide apart and parallel to eye in dorsal view; inter-narial distance 57.1 % of inter-orbital distance. Spiracle sinistral and short; inner wall of tube completely formed and free from body wall; tube oriented posterolateral, its opening located below medial of the lateral side of venter. Distance between spiracle and snout 54 % of body length. Opening of vent tube dextral; both walls meet each other at the same point. Tail tip pointed; musculature linear on first third length of tail, tapering beyond. Dorsal fin originating behind body tail junction, ventral fin originating at ventral terminus; dorsal fin wider than ventral fin; maximum height of caudal fin at about mid length. Height of tail muscle 1.09 times width of tail muscle at body-tail junction. Tail (caudal) musculature accounting for 61.9 % of height of tail. Lateral line visible. Glands absent on outer integument.

Moderately large oral disc and located ventrally ( fig. 35c View Figure 35 ). Rostral width of oral disc 33.6 % of maximum body width, emarginated; not visible dorsally; oral disc multi-lobed with about eight lobes; anterior lobe largest followed by lobes on lateral sides and posterior; posteriorly, labium divided into four lobes. Single row of large marginal papillae on margin of oral disc; conical submarginal papillae seen above upper jaw sheath and on lobes, both laterally and ventrally; submarginal papillae above upper jaw sheath arranged in two rows and smaller; submarginal papillae on lateral and ventral lobes larger, fewer and widely placed; about four to five submarginal papillae on each lateral and ventral lobes. Labial tooth rows absent. Jaw sheaths well developed, and both jaw sheaths massively keratinized; supra-rostrodont longer than wide and convex; infra-rostrodont U-shaped, convex laterally and concave medially. Serrations on infra-rostrodont slightly larger than serrations on supra-rostrodont.

Measurements of 17 tadpoles at various Gosner stages (25‒28, 31, 38, 40) are given in tab. 16 View Table 16 .

Coloration. In life, dorsal body beige brown with few tiny melanophores on dorsal body and flanks; flanks darker than dorsal body. Integument on lateral sides dotted with numerous melanophores. Ventral integument translucent and dirty white with gut coils visible. Caudal fin musculature white, mottled with medium-sized irregular blotches; larger blotches present at anterior end and smaller ones at posterior end. Dorsal and ventral fins white and translucent with many melanophore bands; dorsal fin was more spotted than ventral fin. Spiracle, oral disc and vent tube translucent with no melanophores.

Buccopharyngeal morphology. Buccal roof ( fig. 36a‒b View Figure 36 ). Prenarial arena with eight papillae arranged in an inverted ‘V’; median papilla largest, followed by three pairs papillae located linearly to medial papilla; a papilla present on the medial axis posterior to medial papilla; posterior papilla smaller compared to other papillae. Internal nares transverse, oriented medially; gap between nares wide, separated by length of a nare; a short papilla present medially between nares; anterior narial wall pustulose with many tiny pustules and a stubby projection originating near to mesad plane; posterior wall tall, smooth and valvular; two projections seen on posterior narial wall; projection near to mesad plane smaller and stubby; projection near to lateral corner broader and taller. Postnarial arena with two pairs of papillae with rugose surface behind narial wall; arranged linearly from mesad plane; papillae at lateral corners longer than papillae near to mesad plane. Median ridge papilla conical and tiny. A long bifid pustulose lateral ridge papilla perpendicular to median ridge papilla. BRA well defined with about 30 pairs of closely arranged short BRA papillae; BRA dotted by more than 300 pustules. Observations on glandular zone could not be made. Dorsal velum tall and discontinuous; a deep grove in front of the margin of the velum; margin with about 20 long projections.

Buccal floor ( fig. 36c‒d View Figure 36 ). Prelingual arena with 10 pairs of long palps located anteromedially and five pairs of pustules located anterolaterally on jaw sheath; papillae conical and pustulated. Tongue anlage absent. Numerous pustules bordered anterolaterally by eight to 10 long conical papillae of unequal size spread in region between lingual region and lateral corners of the floor; more than 400 pustules spread across the entire floor; BFA defined by about 10‒12 BFA papillae; BFA papillae dilated at tips forming multiple projections; anterior papillae larger than posterior papillae. Buccal pockets narrow and oriented anteromedially; pocket papillae absent. Region between BFA and margin of velum smooth. Ventral velum margin smooth; 10 long projections mainly concentrated around medial region. Glottis exposed posterior to velum.

Labial tooth rows absent ( fig. 36e View Figure 36 ). Serrations ( fig. 36f View Figure 36 ) on jaw sheaths large. Each serration with a wide base and triangular pointed head.