The frog, Limnonectes phyllofolia sp. nov. has a novel reproductive technique during which the male of the species guards the egg clutches.
A brand new fanged frog species from Sulawesi Island in Indonesia has been found and described by researchers with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, and the College of California at Berkeley.
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The frog, Limnonectes phyllofolia sp. nov. has a novel reproductive technique during which the male of the species guards the egg clutches, that are sometimes laid on leaves or “mossy boulders one to 2 meters above small, sluggish shifting streams.” It has the smallest grownup physique dimension among the many different Limnonectes species on the island, with a most snout to vent size of 30mm.
From the analysis paper: Fig 1. Photos of Limnonectes phyllofolia sp. nov. in life. (A) A male L. phyllofolia (no voucher) guards an egg clutch on a leaf 0.2 meters above a sluggish spring-fed stream on Gunung Balease—24 October 2010, 21:05 h. (B) A male L. phyllofolia, MVZ:Herp:295234, guards an egg clutch 0.6 m up on a 2 m tall mossy boulder overhanging a stream in Bantimurung Nationwide Park—25 June 2014, 20:30 h. (C) A male L. phyllofolia, MVZ:Herp:295430, guards an egg clutch on a leaf 0.2 m above a puddle in Bantimurung Nationwide Park—25 June 2014, 22:25 h. (D) A male L. phyllofolia, MVZ:Herp:295248, guards an egg clutch on a mossy boulder 1 m above a 1 m vast cascading stream in Bantimurung Nationwide Park—25 June 2014, 21:38 h. (E) A male L. phyllofolia (no voucher) guards an egg clutch on a leaf whereas larvae hatch and drop into the water under. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292598.g001
This species is exclusive in that it is only one of two species from the island that deposits their eggs on land and which the males guard the eggs. The opposite frog within the Limnonectes genus that deposits its eggs on land is L. arathooni. The distinction between the 2, in line with the researchers, is that L. arathooni lays its eggs in stream facet leaf litter or in holes alongside the banks of streams, whereas L.phyllofolia deposits its eggs one to 2 meters above the bottom.
From the analysis paper: Fig 4. Eggs and newly hatched larvae of Limnonectes phyllofolia. (A) A male L. phyllofolia, MVZ:Herp:295236, guards two egg clutches on a sapling 2 m above a 1 m vast stream in Bantimurung Nationwide Park. (B) Instance of twin egg clutches (guarded by MVZ:Herp:295224) deposited on fern frond 0.6 m above a puddle in Bantimurung Nationwide Park. (C) Instance of eggs from clutch guarded by MVZ:Herp:295224—clutch was collected from leaves 0.75 m above a puddle on 24 June 2014, 19:00 h from Bantimurung Nationwide Park. (D) Instance of eggs from clutch guarded by MVZ:Herp:295236—clutch was collected from leaves of a sapling tree, 2 m above a 1 m vast stream on 25 June 2014 at 21:38 h from Bantimurung Nationwide Park. (E) Instance of newly hatched tadpoles. The related clutch was guarded by MVZ:Herp:295246, and picked up on a mossy boulder 1.5 m above a 1 m vast stream on 25 June 2014 at 21:38 h from Bantimurung Nationwide Park. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292598.g004
The entire paper, A brand new species of terrestrially-nesting fanged frog (Anura: Dicroglossidae) from Sulawesi Island, Indonesia” could be learn on the PLOS One Journal web site.
