Configurations of the rectus abdominis muscle of anuran tadpoles.

Configurations of the rectus abdominis in tadpoles of 60 anuran species in 13 families were examined. This muscle is present by Gosner stage 25 and does not change until late in metamorphosis. The anterior terminus of the r. abdominis usually is a straight, transverse front or fan-shaped array only loosely associated with the rectus cervicis. In some suspension feeders (Rhinophrynus, Xenopus, but not microhylids), macrophagous suction feeders (Lepidobatrachus) and bromeliad inhabitants (Hyla bromeliacia) the r. abdominis is contigous with the r. cervicis which continues anterolaterally and dorsally from the wall of the spiracular cavity. Suctorial forms (Scutiger), those that live in confined spaces (burrowers, Centrolenella; bromeliad inhabitants, Hyla bromeliacia), and the taxa that have the r. cervicis and r. abdominis contiguous all have closed myosepta; the myosepta of other taxa; except for ones with large tadpoles (e.g., Rana catesbeiana), have large gaps between at least anterior myotomes. These initial data suggest that the configurations of the r. abdominis have responded to selection based on ecomorphological function and convergence among lineages are noted. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.