Variations
1 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Merlin's dwarf clawed frog
Peaceful and shy but poor at competing for food; best in a species tank with very gentle companions.
This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.
- Merlin's dwarf clawed frog should be kept without other species.
- Merlin's dwarf clawed frog should be kept without other species.
- Merlin's dwarf clawed frog should be kept without other species.
Care and water
Behavior
Peaceful and shy but poor at competing for food; best in a species tank with very gentle companions.
Food
Live blackworms, small bloodworms and brine shrimp; often reluctant to take dead food at first.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Male or female
Health
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Breeding
Egg-scatterer ·
Rarely bred; specialist hobbyists first bred imported Guinea-Bissau animals in 2006.
Keep 3-4 together in a quiet tank.
20-30 L species tank with sponge filter and floating plants.
Rainy-season cycle of cool water changes and heavy feeding.
Unknown or very small clutches.
Tadpoles require very fine live food.
- Wild-caught stock with parasites
- Competition at feeding time
- Warm, dirty water
Where it lives in the wild
The story of the merlin's dwarf clawed frog
A West African dwarf clawed frog in its own genus, sometimes placed in Hymenochirus. Specialist keepers found imported animals hardier than African dwarf frogs, but good at climbing out of tanks, so a tight lid is essential.
French zoologist Paul Chabanaud described this frog in 1920. It is a small aquatic frog related to the dwarf clawed frogs of Central Africa. It is rarely seen in the pet trade.
First described by Paul Chabanaud in 1920.
- It is the only species in its genus.
- It lives entirely in water.
- Unlike Hymenochirus, its fingers are not webbed.
Sources
5 facts checked with sources
- Scientific name
Amphibian (largely aquatic dwarf clawed frog). Monotypic genus; also published as Hymenochirus merlini or Hymenochirus (Pseudhymenochirus) merlini (Lamotte 1963; Sokol 1977). Keep those as other names.
Amphibian Species of the World 6.2: Pseudhymenochirus merlini - Familycorrected
New value.
Amphibian Species of the World 6.2: Pseudhymenochirus merlini - Where it lives
Legacy said 'West African', which agrees. Note: the legacy business block lists Cameroon and Nigeria as wild sources, which are outside the range; ASW says the species is about 2000 km from the westernmost Hymenochirus (in Nigeria).
Amphibian Species of the World 6.2: Pseudhymenochirus merlini · Wikipedia: Merlin's dwarf gray frog (cites IUCN SSC ASG 2013; ASW; Irisarri et al. 2011) - Breeding
Single hobby report; supports 'rarely bred'. The legacy trigger (cool water change, deep tank) was not found in a source.
pipidae.org (M. Truckenbrodt): Pseudhymenochirus merlini 'Bambadinca' (hobby keeping/breeding report) - Storycorrected
Legacy called wild-caught animals 'fragile'; the one specialist report found them more durable than Hymenochirus. 'Flat, warty body' not checked. IUCN (via Wikipedia): common, harvested locally for food, not threatened.
pipidae.org (M. Truckenbrodt): Pseudhymenochirus merlini 'Bambadinca' (hobby keeping/breeding report) · Wikipedia: Merlin's dwarf gray frog (cites IUCN SSC ASG 2013; ASW; Irisarri et al. 2011)