Quasipaa spinosa

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Quasipaa spinosa
Quasipaa spinosa.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Dicroglossidae
Genus: Quasipaa
Species:
Q. spinosa
Binomial name
Quasipaa spinosa
(David, 1875)
Synonyms

Rana latransDavid, 1872
Rana spinosaDavid, 1875
Paa spinosa(David, 1875)

Contents

Quasipaa spinosa is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is known under many common names, including Chinese spiny frog, giant spiny frog, Chinese edible frog, and spiny paa frog. [2] Its names refer to the distinctive characteristics of the species, relatively large size and the spiny chest of male frogs. [3] [4] Giant in frog terms only, it can nevertheless grow to lengths above 10 cm (4 in); this makes it the largest frog in Hong Kong. [3] [5]

Taxonomy

Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have suggested that Quasipaa spinosa is split in three distinct lineages; the nominal Quasipaa spinosa may thus represent a cryptic species complex. The lineages are geographically distinct; one lineage is found in Yunnan, another one in southeastern China (Anhui, Zhejiang, northern Fujian, and Jiangxi), and the third one in south-central China (southern Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, and Guangxi). In this analysis, Quasipaa exilispinosa is nested within Quasipaa spinosa. [6] It's sibling species is Quasipaa acanthophora from Vietnam. [7]

The complete mitochondrial genome (18,012 base pairs in length) of Quasipaa spinosa has been sequenced, helping to shed light into the phylogeny of Quasipaa and related frogs. [8]

Distribution and habitat

It is found in China south of the Yangtze River, including Hong Kong. It is expected to be found in Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar. No certain records exist from Vietnam, earlier records may refer to Quasipaa acanthophora described in 2009 as a new species from that country. [2] It may also have been mixed with Quasipaa verrucospinosa and Nanorana yunnanensis . [1]

Quasipaa spinosa is associated with rocky streams in evergreen forests and open countryside on hills and mountains. Its altitude range is about 200–1,500 m (660–4,920 ft) above sea level. [1]

Description and life cycle

The most distinctive characteristic of Quasipaa spinosa are the keratinized skin spines in the chest of males. [4] [9] It is dark brown in colour, interspersed with dense, yellowish mottling. [3]

Quasipaa spinosa are moderately large frogs: males grow to a snout–vent length of about 80 mm (3.1 in) and females to 82 mm (3.2 in) [10] or more, up to 128 mm (5.0 in) in snout–vent length. [3] [11] It is the largest frog in Hong Kong. [3] [5] Later studies has shown that usually males are larger than females, but with considerable overlap between sexes. Body size is positively correlated with maximum temperature and rainfall. Mean body weight among males may reach at least 133 g (4.7 oz). [4]

Quasipaa spinosa breeds in streams, laying the eggs in water under stones. [1] Reproduction takes place in April–October. Male frogs call near slow-flowing sections of streams or around pools adjacent to streams. The advertisement call consists of three to seven notes, the last being the longest. Pairs in amplexus are found within the chorus area. [12]

Population demography of Quasipaa spinosa has been studied for two populations in the Tai Mo Shan Country Park in Hong Kong. These populations exhibit high site fidelity. Populations have low densities (13–42 frogs per 100 m of stream) and female-biased sex ratio. Each female produced an average 1.26 juveniles that survived until the age of 2 years. Annual survival was low, 38–65%. [13]

Quasipaa spinosa in its stream side habitat. Giant Spiny Frog (Quasipaa spinosa) Ji Xiong Wa 2.jpg
Quasipaa spinosa in its stream side habitat.

Utilization

Quasipaa spinosa is an important food and medicinal resource in China and considered as a delicacy. [13] Populations are heavily harvested, and overcollection is implicated in population declines. [13] In Jiangxi province alone, the value of production of Quasipaa spinosa for domestic consumption is of the same magnitude as global trade of frog meat. Quasipaa spinosa are also farmed, but farming operations are likely based on tadpoles or juveniles sourced from wild population, instead of captive breeding. Thus, farming may not reduce the pressure on wild populations. [13]

Conservation

This species is believed to have declined dramatically in abundance. It is classified as "Vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because the decline is estimated to be more than 30% over the last three generations. The main reasons for the decline is (over)collection for human consumption, and it is also threatened by habitat loss caused by agriculture and dam construction. [1] Moderate levels of exploitation are sufficient to increase extinction risk markedly, at least in small populations. [13]

Quasipaa spinosa is not designated as a State Protected Animal in China, and there are no regulations for its protection, except in protected areas. However, sale of wild Quasipaa spinosa is now forbidden in Fujian, and farmed frogs need to be certified. Whether these regulations are enforced is not yet known, but they have potential to help wild populations. [13]

Parasites

Sicuophora multigranularis (Armophorea), a parasite of the rectum of Quasipaa spinosa Parasite180015-fig3 Sicuophora multigranularis (Armophorea, Clevelandellida).png
Sicuophora multigranularis (Armophorea), a parasite of the rectum of Quasipaa spinosa

Parasites of Quasipaa spinosa include the ciliate Sicuophora multigranularis. [14]

Related Research Articles

<i>Limnonectes</i> Genus of fork-tongued frogs

Limnonectes is a genus of fork-tongued frogs of about 75 known species, but new ones are still being described occasionally. They are collectively known as fanged frogs because they tend to have unusually large teeth, which are small or absent in other frogs.

<i>Limnonectes fujianensis</i> Species of frog

Limnonectes fujianensis is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is most closely related to, and formerly confused with Limnonectes kuhlii. Its name refers to the type locality in Fujian province of China. It is also found in Hunan, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi in China as well as in Taiwan. and other sources give a somewhat broader distribution.

Quasipaa yei, or Ye's spiny-vented frog, is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is endemic to China where it is known from the Dabie Mountains that straddle the border between Hubei, Henan, and Anhui provinces. Its type locality is in Shengcheng County in Jiyuan City, Henan. Its natural habitats are temperate rivers with surrounding forests. It is potentially threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese edible frog</span> Species of amphibian

The Chinese edible frog, East Asian bullfrog, or Taiwanese frog is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is found in Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, arable land, pasture land, rural gardens, urban areas, ponds, aquaculture ponds, open excavations, irrigated land, seasonally flooded agricultural land, and canals and ditches. They breed in spring to early summer.

Quasipaa boulengeri is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is known under many common names, including Boulenger's spiny frog, spiny-bellied frog, and Boulenger's paa frog. It is found in southern and southwestern China and northern Vietnam. It is a very common species that has declined. It is collected for human consumption, and it is also threatened by habitat loss. Its natural habitats are hill streams and ponds.

<i>Quasipaa exilispinosa</i> Species of amphibian

Quasipaa exilispinosa is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is known under many common names, including Hong Kong spiny frog, common spiny frog, lesser spiny frog, little spiny frog, and Hong Kong paa frog. It has a patchy distribution in southern China including Hong Kong. Its natural habitats are subtropical hill streams in forests or shrublands, and sometimes also seepages, stream-fed marshes, and forests. It is threatened by over-collecting for human consumption and by habitat loss.

Quasipaa fasciculispina is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is known under many common names: spiny-breasted giant frog, spiny-breasted frog, spine-glanded mountain frog, and Thai paa frog. It is found in the Cardamom Mountains in southwestern Cambodia and eastern Thailand. It is found in on near fast-flowing mountain streams in tropical evergreen forests. It is threatened by collecting for human consumption and by habitat loss.

<i>Nanorana feae</i> Species of amphibian

Nanorana feae is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is found in Yunnan, China, and the Kachin Hills in Myanmar. The specific name feae honors Leonardo Fea, an Italian explorer, zoologist, and naturalist. This little-known species probably inhabits hill streams in forested areas.

Quasipaa jiulongensis is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is endemic to eastern China and only known from the mountains of southwestern Zhejiang and adjacent Fujian above 800 m (2,600 ft) elevation. Its natural habitats are hill streams. It is threatened by habitat loss due to both logging and infrastructure development as well as by collection for food.

Nanorana polunini is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is found in Nyalam County in southern Tibet (China), Nepal, and possibly Kashmir (India). It is a common species in Nepal but rare in China. It lives in stream habitats in montane forest.

Quasipaa robertingeri is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is endemic to Southwest China and is known from southeastern Sichuan, Chonqing, and northern Guizhou. It is named in honor of Robert F. Inger, an American herpetologist and ichthyologist. Common name Hejiang spiny frog has been proposed for it.

Quasipaa shini is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is endemic to southern central China. Its natural habitats are rivers in subtropical moist lowland forests and montane forest at elevations of 510–1,500 m (1,670–4,920 ft) asl. It is threatened by over-collecting for human consumption and by habitat loss.

Nanorana yunnanensis, commonly known as Yunnan paa frog, Yunnan spiny frog, Bourret's paa frog or Bourret's frog, is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is found in southwestern China, Vietnam, Myanmar, northern Thailand, and likely in the intervening Laos. Its natural habitats are small and large streams in montane forests, scrub vegetation and grasslands, and it has also been found in ditches. It is threatened primarily by collection for human consumption, but also by habitat loss caused by agricultural development and infrastructure development.

<i>Sylvirana guentheri</i> Species of amphibian

Hylarana guentheri is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It was formerly placed in the genus Rana. It is found in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Cambodia and Laos. An introduced population is found on Guam. An alternate common name is Günther's Amoy frog, and the honorific is often spelled "Guenther's".

<i>Quasipaa</i> Genus of amphibians

Quasipaa is a genus of frogs in the family Dicroglossidae. The genus has no established common name, but many individual species are referred to as spiny frogs. They occur in East and Southeast Asia, from Thailand and Cambodia to southern and eastern China.

Hong Kong frog may refer to:

Limnonectes bannaensis is a species of frogs in the family Dicroglossidae. It is found in southern China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

Quasipaa acanthophora is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is endemic to northern Vietnam and know from two locations, its type locality Mau Son in the Lang Son Province, and the Tay Yen Tu Nature Reserve in the Bac Giang Province. It is a sibling species of Quasipaa spinosa.

Brachytarsophrys orientalis, the Oriental short-legged toad, is a species of litter frog in the family Megophryidae. It is native to Jiangxi and Fujian in southeastern China. It is the easternmost species within the genus Brachytarsophrys, hence the specific name orientalis.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Michael Wai Neng Lau, Geng Baorong, Gu Huiqing, Peter Paul van Dijk, Raoul Bain (2004). "Quasipaa spinosa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2004: e.T58439A11781309. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T58439A11781309.en . Retrieved 16 November 2021.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. 1 2 Frost, Darrel R. (2017). "Quasipaa spinosa (David, 1875)". Amphibian Species of the World 6.0, an Online Reference. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Tony, Hung Tun Hei (2006–2011). "Giant Spiny Frog". Programmes of Ecology & Biodiversity, Hong Kong University. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 Yu, B. G.; Zheng, R. Q.; Zhang, Y.; Liu, C. T. (2010). "Geographic variation in body size and sexual size dimorphism in the giant spiny frog Paa spinosa (David, 1875) (Anura: Ranoidae)". Journal of Natural History. 44 (27–28): 1729. doi:10.1080/00222931003632682. S2CID   85168977.
  5. 1 2 Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (2006). "Amphibians of Hong Kong". HK SPecies. The Government of Hong Kong SAR. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  6. ↑ Ye, S.; Huang, H.; Zheng, R.; Zhang, J.; Yang, G.; Xu, S. (2013). "Phylogeographic analyses strongly suggest cryptic speciation in the giant spiny frog (Dicroglossidae: Paa spinosa) and interspecies hybridization in Paa". PLOS ONE. 8 (7): e70403. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...870403Y. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070403 . PMC   3729840 . PMID   23936199.
  7. ↑ Dubois, A. & Ohler, A. (2009). "A new species of the genus Quasipaa (Anura, Ranidae, Dicroglossinae) from northern Vietnam". Alytes. 27: 49–61.
  8. ↑ Zhou, Y.; Zhang, J. Y.; Zheng, R. Q.; Yu, B. G.; Yang, G. (2009). "Complete nucleotide sequence and gene organization of the mitochondrial genome of Paa spinosa (Anura: Ranoidae)". Gene. 447 (2): 86–96. doi:10.1016/j.gene.2009.07.009. PMID   19631263.
  9. ↑ Zheng, R. Q.; Ye, R.; Yu, Y.; Yang, G. (2009). "Fifteen polymorphic microsatellite markers for the giant spiny frog, Paa spinosa". Molecular Ecology Resources. 9 (1): 336–338. doi:10.1111/j.1755-0998.2008.02420.x. PMID   21564643. S2CID   42738290.
  10. ↑ Fei, L. (1999). Atlas of Amphibians of China (in Chinese). Zhengzhou: Henan Press of Science and Technology. pp. 208–210. ISBN   7-5349-1835-9.
  11. ↑ Zheng, R. Q.; Liu, C. T. (2010). "Giant spiny-frog (Paa spinosa) from different populations differ in thermal preference but not in thermal tolerance". Aquatic Ecology. 44 (4): 723. doi:10.1007/s10452-009-9310-3. S2CID   20220630.
  12. ↑ Yu, Baogen; Zheng, Rongquan (2009). "The advertisement call of the giant spiny frog Paa spinosa". Current Zoology. 55 (6): 411–415. doi: 10.1093/czoolo/55.6.411 . Archived from the original on 19 December 2013.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Chan, H. K.; Shoemaker, K. T.; Karraker, N. E. (2014). "Demography of Quasipaa frogs in China reveals high vulnerability to widespread harvest pressure". Biological Conservation. 170: 3–9. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2013.12.014.
  14. ↑ Li, Can; Zhao, Weishan; Zhang, Dong; Wang, Runqiu; Wang, Guitang; Zou, Hong; Li, Wenxiang; Wu, Shangong; Li, Ming (2018). "Sicuophora (Syn. Wichtermania) multigranularis from Quasipaa spinosa (Anura): morphological and molecular study, with emphasis on validity of Sicuophora (Armophorea, Clevelandellida)". Parasite. 25: 38. doi:10.1051/parasite/2018035. ISSN   1776-1042. PMC   6063722 . PMID   30052499. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
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