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Which caecilian families have aquatic larvae?
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Gymnophiona
Caecilian moving over soil.
Among the various families of caecilians, only two are characterized by the presence of aquatic larvae: the Ichthyophiidae and the Rhinatrematidae.1
In these families, eggs are typically deposited in burrows located in mud near water. Upon hatching, the larvae leave these burrows to inhabit ponds and streams. While other caecilian families may exhibit different reproductive strategiesāsuch as direct development on land or viviparityāaquatic larval stages are absent from most other groups.213