Descrição do girino de Proceratophrys caramaschii (Anura; Odontophrynidae)

Abstract

The genus Proceratophrys Miranda-Ribeiro 1920 (Anura; Odontophrynidae) currently contains 41 described species, and has distribution throughout Brazil; northeast of Argentina and Paraguay, possibly extending Bolivia close to the Brazilian border. However, only 21 species have their larvae described in terms of external morphology, internal oral morphology and chondrocranium. Given the importance of identifying larval characters here we describe the external morphology, the internal oral and chondrocranial morphology of Proceratophrys caramaschii tadpoles. The animals described here were collected in a temporary pond in the Corrente community, located in the city of Pedro II-PI. The testimony material is deposited in the laboratory of the Federal Institute of Piauí, Campus Pedro II. The larvae were created until the end of the metamorphosis to confirm the species. The description of the external morphological characteristics provided here and the illustrations were based on 13 tadpoles, five for external morphology, five for external morphology, five for internal oral morphology and three for the description of chondrocranium, all tadpoles were in stage 36 (GROSNER, 19600). The tadpoles were subjected to a clearing process to highlight the structures of the chondrocranium. Some characters proved to be useful in the diagnosis. The tadpole P. caramaschii differs from P. cristiceps mainly in the shape of the body, in relation to external morphology, regarding the internal oral morphology the oral floor shape of Proceratophrys caramaschii different from the other species, in relation to the chondrocranium P. caramaschii differs from P. cristiceps in the following characteristics: oval shape (rectangular in P. cristiceps), processus anterolateralis hyalis, processus lateralis hyalis, anterior processus branchialis and planum hypobranchiale developed (poorly developed), presence of foramen acusticum and foramen endolymphaticum in the optical capsule (not shown in P. cristiceps). From the description of the Proceratophrys caramaschii tadpole including its external morphology, internal oral and chondrocranium the present work supports the elevation of P. caramaschii to species status as well as postulated by Cruz, Nunes & Juncá in 2012.