Larval morphology and ontogeny of Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis Biju & Bossuyt, 2003 (Anura, Nasikabatrachidae) from Western Ghats, India

The external, oral and buccopharyngeal morphologies of Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis tadpoles were studied using stereoscopic and scanning electron microscopy. Using DNA barcodes, taxonomic identity of the tadpoles was established and tadoples of N. sahyadrensis were reared in semi-natural conditions. Development in the species from hatching to metamorph was prolonged and it took about 100 days for the freshly hatched larvae to metamorphose. The tadpoles are exotrophic, torrent dwelling with a large ventral suctorial oral disc, broadly rounded snout, cylindrical body, and a funnel shaped vent tube opening medially. During development external and buccopharyngeal characters show extensive changes. During metamorphosis developmental asynchrony was observed.