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

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. Base...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Zoosystematics and Evolution Vol. 91; no. 2; pp. 115 - 149
Main Authors:	Barej, Michael, Schmitz, Andreas, Penner, Johannes, Doumbia, Joseph, Sandberger-Loua, Laura, Hirschfeld, 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
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Sophia Pensoft Publishers 01-01-2015
Subjects:	Amphibians Morphology Odontobatrachus arndti Species Liberia
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	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., Odontobatrachus fouta sp. n., Odontobatrachus smithi sp. n. and Odontobatrachus ziama sp. n. All species occur in parapatry: Odontobatrachus natator is known from western Guinea to eastern Liberia, Odontobatrachus ziama sp. n. from eastern Guinea, Odontobatrachus smithi sp. n. and Odontobatrachus fouta sp. n. from western Guinea, Odontobatrachus 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 ( Odontobatrachus arndti sp. n.) is described.
ISSN:	1435-1935 1860-0743
DOI:	10.3897/zse.91.5127