The Tadpole of the Glassfrog Chimerella mariaelenae (Anura: Centrolenidae)

Abstract

We describe the tadpole of the glassfrog Chimerella mariaelenae, including information about its ontogenetic variation. The tadpole is characterized mainly by having a brown coloration that, in later stages turns yellowish-green, and nearly straight jaw sheaths with serrations of uniform length. Ontogenetic changes of C. mariaelenae tadpoles are conspicuous in terms of coloration and oral apparatus morphology (i.e., number of papillae and degree of keratinization). Mouth morphology and coloration patterns are likely to provide enough characters to identify glassfrog tadpoles at the species level, but more descriptions are necessary to assess their intra and interspecific variation.