The clutch structure of Pleurodema tucumanum (Anura: Leptodactylidae)

FERRARO DAINA; PEREYRA MARÍA EUGENIA; BALDO DIEGO; FAIVOVICH JULIÁN

salamandra

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Herpetologie und Terrarienkunde e.V

Año: 2016 vol. 52 p. 48 - 52

0036-3375

Anurans have a vast diversity of reproductive modes (SALTHE & DUELMAN 1973). Foam nests are a particularly peculiar mode of oviposition and this has evolved independently in several anuran lineages (see FAIVOVICH et al. 2012 for summary and discussion). During amplexus, females release ova and a proteinaceous fluid, while males release sperm, and either one (female or male) or both parents begin a beating behaviour, where air bubbles are trapped in the fluid (HEYER & RAND 1977). The foam is a mixture of proteins produced in the oviduct, and when coupled with beating action to incorporate the air, this results in a somewhat stable foam nest structure. This structure by itself, is difficult to maintain indefinitely, and has a tendency to collapse over time unless stabilized mechanically or kinetically by additional processes. As proteins are potentially susceptible to surface effects, proteins within the foam may often become denatured (COOPER & KENNEDY 2010). The stability of the foam-nests has been correlated to surfactant proteins discovered within foam (COOPER et al. 2005, HISSA et al. 2008, FLEMING et al. 2009, COOPER & KENNEDY 2010).