SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY OF HORNY TEETH IN THE ANURAN TADPOLE RHACOPHORIDAE, RHACOPHORUS-ARBOREUS AND RHACOPHORUS-SCHLEGELII

We examined the horny teeth in tadpoles of Rhacophorus auboreus and Rh acophorus schlegelii by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), The top ce lls of newly forming horny teeth showed no characteristic traits havin g a few short protuberances on its apices, After the repeated renewal by shedding off, the top cells of the horny teeth in the tadpoles show ed a spoon-like shape having some marginal cusps, The number of margin al cusps gradually increased with the progression of stage, and were a lways abundant in R. arboueus at every stage, The maximum number of R. arboreus was 17-21 and that of R. schlegelii was 11-16 just before th e metamorphosis at stage 38, For the discussion of taxonomical and phy logenical problems, the number of marginal cusps in anuran tadpoles is very useful as a species-specific characteristic.