Ctenophryne


Ctenophryne is a genus of microhylid frogs. They occur in southern Central America and South America. Their common names are egg frogs and Nelson frogs, the latter applying to species in the formerly recognized Nelsonophryne.

Taxonomy and systematics

As of 2017, Ctenophryne includes two other genera, Nelsonophryne and Melanophryne, in synonymy. The latter might represent valid genera, but molecular analyses could not resolve their relationships in a robust way. Placing Nelsonophryne and Melanophryne in the synonymy of Ctenophryne is an interim measure that avoids paraphyly, until new data might resolve the relationships. When Ctenophryne is defined this way, it is a monophyletic group that is the sister group to all
other gastrophrynines.

Description

Ctenophryne range from relatively small Ctenophryne barbatula to moderately large Ctenophryne aterrima. The current definition of the genus is essentially based on molecular phylogenetics rather than morphology.

Species

There are six species: