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Abstract
The external morphology and development of the tadpoles of Feihyla kajau (Dring, 1983) from Kubah National Park, Sarawak, East Malaysia (Borneo), are described. The species produce small clutches of 7–10 (mean 8.60 ± SE 0.51) eggs within a mass of jelly-like substance that is stuck to leaves near standing bodies of water, such as stagnant pools and swamps. The tadpoles reach 26.7 mm in total length, their body shapes subglobose to ovoid in dorsal view; eyes positioned dorsolaterally; spiracle sinistral; oral disk anteroventral; marginal papillation of oral disk with broad gap on upper lip and no gap on lower lip; oral disk marginal papillae arranged in single row; labial ridges with uniserial keratodont rows; and Labial Tooth Row Formula 4(2–4)/3. Morphological changes during development are documented according to the staging table of Gosner (1960). Development was recorded from Stage 26 until Stage 42. Time taken to reach Stage 42 was 110 days. It is shown that developmental time and stages have a pronounced nonlinear relationship; stages are only ordinal. Ex situ conditions required to raise the tadpoles of the species are described, which include water temperature, food and condition of growing provided.
Key words. Tadpole, growth, description, staging, metamorphosis, Feihyla kajau, Malaysia, Borneo
Indraneil Das, Hairi Hedeir, Yong Min Pui, Stefan T. Hertwigand Alexander Haas. 2016. Larval External Morphology and Development in Feihyla kajau (Dring,1983) (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae). RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY. 64: 319–328.
