Abstract:

Although tadpoles are common, frequently encountered vertebrates, their natural history is poorly known. Despite the fact that Brazil harbors the highest anuran diversity in the world, with almost a thousand known species (Segalla et  al., 2014), the larvae of many species remain undescribed. The problem is not unique to Brazil. At the turn of the century, approximately ⅔ of almost 3,300 anuran species with a larval stage lacked tadpole descriptions (McDiarmid & Altig, 1999). The proportion of neotropical anurans with free-swimming larvae that are not described is estimated to be around 40% (Provete et al., 2012).

Author affiliation: Rossa Feres, Denise de C.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasil

Author affiliation: Venesky, Matthew. Allegheny College; Estados Unidos

Author affiliation: Nomura, Fausto. Universidade Federal de Goias; Brasil

Author affiliation: Eterovick, Paula C.. Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais; Brasil

Author affiliation: Vera Candioti, María Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

Author affiliation: Menin, Marcelo. Universidade Federal do Amazonas; Brasil

Author affiliation: Juncá, Flora A.. Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana; Brasil

Author affiliation: Schiesari, Luis C.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasil

Author affiliation: Haddad, Celio F. B.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasil

Author affiliation: Garey, Michel V.. Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana; Brasil

Author affiliation: dos Anjos, Luciano A.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasil

Author affiliation: Wasserug, Richard. Dalhousie University Halifax; Canadá. University Of British Columbia; Canadá