Dendrophryniscus brevipollicatus Jiménez de la Espada is a Neotropical bufonid endemic to a small range of the Brazilian Coastal Atlantic Forest, with reduced body size for the family and bromeligenous habit. We reviewed the taxonomic status of populations of D. brevipollicatus from states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, including some continental islands, based on external morphology. We tested our morphological species by a DNA-barcoding approach with sequences of 16S RNA ribosomal gene fragment. DNA-barcoding analysis included other recognized Dendrophryniscus species and was concordant with morphological species diagnosed in our review. Intraspecific genetic distances ranged from 0 to 2.72 % (± 0.91 %). Interspecific distances ranged from 3.35 % (± 0.90 %) to 20.15 (± 2.23 %). Optimal threshold values ranged from 2.8 % to 3.0 % and barcode gap analysis showed that for all individuals the furthest intraspecific distances was always lower than the closest non-conspecific individual. Seven distinct species were recognized. A neotype for D. brevipollicatus was designated and described; the type locality was determined for the Açude da Solidão (22º57'S, 43º17'W, Datum WGS 84; 410 m altitude), Parque Nacional da Tijuca, Municipality of Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Two species were revalidated: D. imitator (Miranda-Ribeiro), with designation of a lectotype and descriptions of the lectotype and of a topotype from the restricted type locality, Alto da Serra (23o46'S, 46o19'W, Datum WGS 84, 800 m altitude), Municipality of Paranapiacaba, State of São Paulo, Brazil; and D. lauroi (Miranda-Ribeiro), with descriptions of the lectotype and of a topotype from the type locality, Municipality of Angra dos Reis (22o54'S, 44o20'W, Datum WGS 84; 25 m altitude), State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Four new species were described: D. davori sp. nov., from Baixo Caledônia (22º21'S, 42º35'W, Datum WGS 84; 1600 m altitude), Municipality of Nova Friburgo, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; D. haddadi sp. nov., from Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, Núcleo Santa Virgínia (23o21'S, 45o08'W, Datum WGS 84; 970 m altitude), Municipality of São Luís do Paraitinga, State of São Paulo, Brazil; D. izecksohni sp. nov., from Campo de Fruticultura da Bocaina (currently Núcleo Senador Vergueiro), Municipality of São José do Barreiro (22º38'S, 44º34'W, Datum WGS 84, 540 m altitude), State of São Paulo, Brazil; and D. jureia sp. nov., from Estação Ecológica da Juréia-Itatins-Núcleo Rio Verde (24º22'S, 47º04'W, Datum WGS 84; 32 m altitude), Municipality of Iguape, State of São Paulo, Brazil. Geographical distributions of all species are provided.
Keywords: Amphibia, Brazil, Atlantic Rain Forest, Dendrophryniscus, DNA-barcoding, Taxonomy.