THE STEINHART AQUARIUM - Gulf of Guinea Science ...

flowing mountain streams. Active nocturnally;
rests under rocks by day.
Appearance: Length to 1. m. Body broad and flattened,
tail laterally compressed. Colored whitish
with black and charcoal dots and mottling.
Diet: Fishes, salamanders, worms, insects,
crayfish and snails located nocturnally by smell
and touch. Giant salamanders have very slow
metabolism and are capable of going for weeks
between meals.
Reproduction and Development: Male builds
a nest and entices a female to his site. External
fertilization on strings of ~ 600 eggs laid in nest
in streambed. Male drives away his mate and
guards the eggs until they hatch.
Mortality/Longevity: Can live to more than
50 years.
Conservation Status: Endangered due to
pollution and damming of rivers.
Remarks: It’s the world’s largest salamander.
Its heavily wrinkled skin aids in respiration
(oxygen uptake).
Species first described by Pere David, a Jesuit
scientist who made an early biological survey
of China. A prized gourmet food item in some
regions of China.
Lesser Siren aka Mud Siren
Siren intermedia (Sirenidae)
Distribution: Southeast USA.
Habitat: Totally aquatic. Inhabit shallow, heavily
vegetated freshwater lakes, marshes and
swamps, often buried in mud or sand.
Appearance: Adults: length to 25 cm. Eel-like
appearance, external gills, minute front legs,
rear legs lacking. Tiny eyes. Larvae black with
red markings.
Diet: Benthic nocturnal feeders upon insect
larvae, crayfish, worms, snails and small fish.
Mouth lacks teeth; prey is crunched by siren’s
horny beak and swallowed whole.
Reproduction and Development: Mating has
never been observed; likely external fertilization.
Females lay up to 1500 eggs singly, dispersing
them widely onto aquatic vegetation.
A parent guards until the larvae hatch 45–75
days later.
Conservation Status: Threatened in Texas due
to drainage of wetlands. Due to degradation of
habitat, likely threatened elsewhere.
California Academy of Sciences
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Remarks: Able to estivate when their ponds
dry up. The mucous coat covering their skin
hardens into a parchment-like cocoon over the
body, excepting the mouth.
When grasped by humans, siren vocalization
sounds like yelps.
ORDER ANURA
(TOADS AND FROGS)
Dwarf African Frog
Hymenochirus boettgeri (Pipidae)
Distribution: Central Africa: Niger, Cameroon
through Zaire.
Habitat: Freshwater; shallow rivers, creeks,
and ponds.
Appearance: Like all pipids, are dorsoventrally
flattened, though females are typically rounder
and larger than males. Max. size: 3.5 cm.
Diet: Insects and small fish fry. Unlike
terrestrial frogs usually noted for their sticky
tongues used to capture prey, pipids lack
tongues entirely, and as aquatic feeders, seem
to depend on the creation of negative pressure
by the rapid opening of the mouth that sucks
in prey that is then swallowed whole. Eyesight
is poor; prey detection depends more on sense
of smell and vibration.
Reproduction and Development: Male
captures the female in the embrace of amplexus
and holds on for hours. If receptive, the female
releases eggs near the surface where the male
fertilizes them. Eggs attach to the water’s
surface tension layer and hatch in about 24
hours. Larvae are free-swimming for about 27
days, and tadpoles metamorphose into small
frogs in t six weeks.
Mortality/Longevity: Life span: about 5 years.
Remarks: The dwarf African frog has been
introduced to southeastern Florida.
Pipid males lack vocal cords but are able to
communicate underwater via clicking sounds
generated by the larynx.
Surinam Toad
Pipa pipa (Pipidae)
Distribution: South America: Amazon region.
Habitat: Freshwater; can live in oxygen deficient,
muddy, turbid or even polluted water.
Benthic, rises to surface to breathe.