Anatomical features of the phytotelma dwelling, egg-eating, fanged tadpoles of Rhacophorus vampyrus (Anura: Rhacophoridae)

VERA CANDIOTI, F; DIAS, PEDRO HENRIQUE DOS SANTOS; ROWLEY, JODI; HERTWIG, STEFAN; HAAS, A; ALTIG, R

JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY

WILEY-LISS, DIV JOHN WILEY & SONS INC

Lugar: New York; Año: 2021 vol. 282 p. 769 - 778

0362-2525

Tadpoles of the Vampire tree frog Rhacophorus vampyrus differ substantially fromother rhacophorid tadpoles, by having profound modifications in external morphology.The morphological peculiarities of this species likely correlate with their arborealmicrohabitat and strict oophagous diet. In this work, we examine buccal and musculoskeletalanatomy and compare them to other rhacophorid and egg-eating larvae.The shape and arrangement of cartilages of the lower jaw are unique among tadpoles,and the lack of a palatoquadrate suspensorium is only known in the distantlyrelated macrophagous tadpoles of the dicroglossid Occidozyga baluensis. The cranialmusculature is massive, and the morphology of several mandibular, hyoid, andabdominal muscles could be related to the ingestion and transit of large eggs. In thebuccal cavity, conspicuous aspects are the absence of ridges and papillae, and thedevelopment of a unique glandular zone in the buccal floor. Finally, observations ofthe skeletal support of keratinized mouthparts allow us to present a topographybasedhypothesis of homology of the conspicuous fangs of these tadpoles.