Sylvia Hofmann, Rafaqat Masroor‡, Daniel Jablonski§Corresponding author: Sylvia Hofmann ( s.hofmann@leibniz-zfmk.de ) © Sylvia Hofmann, Rafaqat Masroor, Daniel Jablonski. This is an open access preprint distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Citation:
Hofmann S, Masroor R, Jablonski D (2021) Tadpoles of the westernmost Himalayan spiny frog Allopaa hazarensis (Dubois and Khan, 1979). ARPHA Preprints. https://doi.org/10.3897/arphapreprints.e66666 |  |
Little is known about the life history, ecology, and distribution of the genus Allopaa (Dicroglossidae) and far less recent data is available about the larvae of this taxon. Here, we provide data on the larval stage of Allopaa hazarensis (Dubois and Khan, 1979) from northern Pakistan based on the examination of three tadpoles. Specimens were obtained from two sites in Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. Morphological and genetic analysis (mtDNA and nDNA) confirmed the identity of the tadpoles as A. hazarensis. Tadpole characterizations were illustrated by detailed imagery. Basic measurements and details on oral apparatus provide relevant taxonomic characteristics to distinguish the tadpoles of this species from other spiny frogs. The illustration and description of the tadpole of A. hazarensis should facilitate the identification of this species in the field.