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Gosner stage 31 tadpole of Nidirana leishanensis. (A) Dorsal view. (B) Lateral view. (C) Ventral view. (D) Mouth structure. [1]Gosner stage is a generalized system of describing stages of embryonal and larval development in anurans (frogs and toads).
A dragonfly in its final moult, undergoing metamorphosis, it begins transforming from its nymph form to an adult. Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth transformation or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation. [1]
Most species lay their eggs underground and when the larvae hatch, they make their way to adjacent bodies of water. Others brood their eggs and the larvae undergo metamorphosis before the eggs hatch. A few species give birth to live young, nourishing them with glandular secretions while they are in the oviduct. [62]
The larvae of tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum), for example, develop limbs soon after hatching and in seasonal pools promptly undergo metamorphosis. Other larvae, especially in permanent pools and warmer climates, may not undergo metamorphosis until fully adult in size.
About 25% of the species are oviparous (egg-laying); the eggs are laid in terrestrial nests rather than in water and are guarded by the female. For some species, the young caecilians are already metamorphosed when they hatch; others hatch as larvae. The larvae are not fully aquatic, but spend the daytime in the soil near the water. [15] [53]
As they undergo metamorphosis, they start to develop functional lungs for breathing air, and the diet of tadpoles changes drastically. A few amphibians, such as some members of the frog family Brevicipitidae , undergo direct development – i.e., they do not undergo a free-living larval stage as tadpoles – instead emerging from eggs as fully ...
After hatching, they eat algae, small invertebrates, or other amphibian larvae. [citation needed] During the subsequent few months, the larvae undergo metamorphosis, during which they develop legs, and the gills are absorbed and replaced by air-breathing lungs. [11]
A larva (/ ˈ l ɑːr v ə /; pl.: larvae / ˈ l ɑːr v iː /) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.