A new species of Choerophryne (Anura, Microhylidae) from the central cordillera of Papua New Guinea

Abstract

We describe a new species of very small microhylid frog in the genus Choerophryne from the upper Strickland River area, Western and Southern Highlands Provinces, Papua New Guinea. Choerophryne gracilirostris sp. nov. can be distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: small size (SUL 13.5-14.7 mm), moderately long and narrow snout, first finger without expanded disk and advertisement call consisting of 3-5 distinctly pulsed notes repeated in long sequences. Males in the type series were calling from within leaf litter in primary hill rainforest (213-1368 m a.s.l.). The new species is the third Choerophryne known from the southern side of New Guinea's central cordillera. Measurements of a juvenile specimen (rare because most Choerophryne collected are calling males) demonstrate that the distinctive rostral projection of this genus exhibits pronounced positive allometry.