Life in the spray zone – overlooked diversity in West African torrent-frogs (Anura, Odontobatrachidae, Odontobatrachus)

By

Barej, Michael F
Schmitz, Andreas
Penner, Johannes
Doumbia, Joseph
Sandberger-Loua, Laura
Petersen, Mareike
Brede, Christian
Emmrich, Mike
Kouamé, N'Goran Germain
Hillers, Annika
Gonwouo, Nono Legrand
Nopper, Joachim
Adeba, Patrick Joel
Bangoura, Mohamed Alhassane
Gage, Ceri
Anderson, Gail.
Rödel, Mark-Oliver

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2015

Original Publication

Zoosystematics and evolution

Volume

91

Series / Issue

Issue: 2

Pages

115--149

Subjects

Amphibia , Biodiversity hotspot , new species , rainforest , taxonomy , Upper Guinea

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia Pensoft

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.91.5127

 

Abstract

West African torrent-frogs of the genus Odontobatrachus currently belong to a single species: Odontobatrachus natator (Boulenger, 1905). Recently, molecular results and biogeographic separation led to the recognition of five Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) thus identifying a species-complex. Based on these insights, morphological analyses on more than 150 adult specimens, covering the entire distribution of the family and all OTUs, were carried out. Despite strong morphological congruence, combinations of morphological characters made the differentiation of OTUs successful and allowed the recognition of five distinct species: Odontobatrachus natator, and four species new to science: Odontobatrachus arndti sp. n., O. fouta sp. n., O. smithi sp. n. and O. ziama sp. n. All species occur in parapatry: Odontobatrachus natator is known from western Guinea to eastern Liberia, O. ziama sp. n. from eastern Guinea, O. smithi sp. n. and O. fouta sp. n. from western Guinea, O. arndti sp. n. from the border triangle Guinea-Liberia-Côte d’Ivoire. In addition, for the first time the advertisement call of a West African torrent-frog (O. arndti sp. n.) is described.