Redescription of the external and internal oral cavity morphology of the tadpole of Ceratophrys aurita (Raddi, 1823) (Anura: Ceratophryidae) from the Caatinga domain, Bahia, northeast Brazil

摘要

The family Ceratophryidae Tschudi currently contains 12 species of frogs that are divided into three genera: Ceratophrys Wied-Neuwied, with eight species distributed throughout tropical South America; Chacophrys Reig & Limeses, represented only by one species that occurs in the salt flats in Chaco; and Lepidobatrachus Budgett, with three species distributed through Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina (Frost 2021). Ceratophryids are explosive breeders and their larvae develop rapidly in ephemeral and temporary ponds (Haddad et al. 2013; Da Silva et al. 2015), which makes it difficult to sample these animals (Nicoli 2019). Most descriptions of tadpoles of the genus Ceratophrys were published long time ago, sometimes with little information and in needing of further detailed descriptions (e.g., C. calcarata, La Marca 1986; C. ornata, Cei 1980). Internal oral morphology has only been described for C. aurita and C. cranwelli (Wassersug & Heyer 1988; Vera Candioti 2005). Thus, because of the similar morphology of the tadpoles of Ceratophrys, more detailed descriptions of external morphology, as well as data on internal morphology, would to help to elucidate differences among the species.