Taxonomic clarifications on the floating frogs (Anura: Dicroglossidae: Occidozyga sensu lato) in southeastern China

Abstract

The recognition for the floating frogs’ genus Occidozyga is in controversy for decades, and the species diversity of these frogs has recently been considered to be underestimated. In southeastern China, two floating frog species are currently recorded, namely Occidozyga lima and Occidozyga martensii. However, their current taxonomic statuses are unresolved after a series of recent taxonomic revisions. In this work, we perform morphological examinations and phylogenetic analyses on these two recorded floating frogs from southeastern China, to clarify their current taxonomic placements. The population previously recorded as Occidozyga lima should be re-assigned to the nomenclature Occidozyga obscura comb. nov., and the population previously recorded as Occidozyga martensii should be an undescribed species which is erected as Occidozyga lingnanica sp. nov. in this work.