Population dynamics of the long-tailed clawed salamander larva, Onychodactylus fischeri, and its age structure in Korea

Abstract

Larvae of the long-tailed clawed salamander, Onychodactylus fischen, have a relatively long larval period, spending a year or more within the stream where they hatch; therefore, a well-established larval population could be critical for the conservation of adult populations. To study the population dynamics of long-tailed clawed salamander larvae, we surveyed a field population once or twice a month from September, 2005 to June, 2006, and determined the age of larval clawed salamanders collected from three different populations in October, 2004 using skeletochronology. The age of long-tailed clawed salamander larvae ranged from O to 3 years. New recruitment of larvae in the population primarily occurred in November, 2005, and mid-March, 2006. Larvae with a snout-vent length of more than 30 mm disappeared from the streams in September, 2005, suggesting that two to three year-old clawed salamander larvae metamorphosed during this period.