Chondrocranium and visceral skeleton of Atelopus tricolor and Atelophryniscus chrysophorus tadpoles (Anura, Bufonidae)

Abstract

Atelopus tricolor and Atelophryniscus chrysophorus have gastromyzophorous tadpoles. Aside from speci. c differences, the larval chondrocrania and visceral skeletons show several shared character states, including an almost quadrangular, open chondrocranium, cornua trabeculae with expanded tips, cartilago suprarostralis as a single element, a posteriorly projected arcus subocularis quadrati, a closed muscular tunnel, and a simpli. ed branchial basket, with only three pairs of ceratobranchiales. They are compared with diverse character states of suctorial larvae considering them as causally related to the stream life adaptations.