Melanophryniscus dorsalis (Mertens 1933)

Diagnosis A medium sized species of the M. stelzneri group, diagnosed by the following characters: (1) snout-vent length 20.5-24.2mm in males, 23.1-24.8mm in females; (2) head broader than long; (3) skin on dorsal and lateral surfaces of body with corneous spines on shallow warts, and additional scattered spines directly on the skin of head and dorsal surfaces of members; (4) ground color of dorsum, loreal region, flanks, and venter dark brown; (5) a distinct, fragmented clear brown stripe on dorsal midline from head to urostile region; (6) two small pale yellow blotches on the gular region, at both corners of mandible; (7) variable pale yellow blotches on the chest, just at the insertion of the arms, belly, and ventral surfaces of forearms and thighs.

Coastal region of Brazil, from southern of the State of Santa Catarina, in Imbituba (28°14'S, 48°40'W), to the southern of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, in Marinheiros Island (31°58� - 32°02� S, 52°05� - 52°12� W), Patos Lagoon estuary, municipality of Rio Grande, state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Adult morphology General aspect robust, bufonoid. Head broader than long; head width nearly 30% of snout-vent length; head lacking cranial crests; snout short, narrow, slightly projecting beyond the anterior margin of mouth, rounded in dorsal and lateral views; canthus rostralis rounded; loreal region vertical, slightly concave; nostrils very small, situated at near tip of snout, directed anteriorly; internarinal distance approximately 80% of upper eyelid width, 63% of interorbital distance, and equals eye to nostril distance; upper eyelid width about 74% of interorbital distance; eye diameter 1.4 times internarinal distance, 1.1 times upper eyelid width, and approximately 80% of interorbital distance; tympanum concealed; vocal slits present in males; tongue much longer than wide, with posterior margin free, rounded; choanae small, rounded, largely separated. Arms slender, lacking ulnar folds; axillary membrane absent. Hand with fingers long, slender; length of fingers I

VU. Vulnerable. Cited how "vulneravel" (VU) in the Lista Vermelha do estado do Rio Grande do Sul.