Zoosystematics and Evolution (Jul 2015)

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

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

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.91.5127
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 91, no. 2
pp. 115 – 149

Abstract

Read online

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.