摘要
Torrentophryne aspinia is a new kind of toads discovered in China recently, it lives in the forest floor in West Yunnan, the most important things for this kind of species is that they have a kind of torrent-adapted tadpoles which have abdominal suckers and can adhere to the surfaces of rocks in moving waters. In this article, we described the forming procedures of abdominal sucker and some breeding behaviors, habitats and habits. After comparing with those of other toads, it is confirmed that Torrentophryne should be a new valid genus, it is derived from ancestor toads because of adaptation to the torrent habitats, by the forming of torrent -adapted organ-abdominal sucker in the early development.
无棘溪蟾(Torrentophryne aspinia)分布于云南西部海拔1800—2200m、森林茂密的山区溪流附近,溪水常清,流速约0.3m/s。其繁殖季节始于中秋,持续约1个月,为短期密集的爆发性繁殖类型。此间,雄蟾为抱对而具有明显的求偶行为和强烈的争雌、排斥同类的行为。抱对方式为腋胸式即雄蟾前肢穿过雌蟾的腋下,其婚垫紧贴雌蟾胸部中央的两侧。抱对约2—4天后,产卵于水流较缓的回水凼中,卵被包于胶质管状带中。产卵时间在白天或夜间,水温11—16℃,约持续3—6h;产卵数 1500—3000粒,一次性产完,其间雌蟾一般不走动,故卵带只一端固定,其余大部松散地漂浮于水中,产完卵后不久,雌雄蟾均上岸而去,并再难发现。若遇猝冷,抱对体将自行拆散并停止繁殖。 腹吸盘(abdominal sucker)的发生是溪蟾类个体发育和系统演化的一个独特而重要的方面,它是蝌蚪藉以在溪流中生存的必须器官,同时也是溪蟾类与其它蟾蜍类在系统演化上的分歧所在。所有蟾蜍类蝌蚪在尾芽期前是被包在卵胶带中的,并且都具有附着器(adhesive or-gan),该附着器在溪蟾类将继续发育成腹吸盘,而在其他蟾蜍类则不再发育成腹吸盘。溪蟾类由于产卵于流溪中,其早期个体发育也在流溪中,故需要有适应溪流生存的器官。