• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.197-201
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• 2010

We sequenced the whole mitochondrial genome of Dendronephthya gigantea (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Nephteidae), the first mitochondrial genome sequence report in the Family Nephtheidae. The mitochondrial genome of D. gigantea was 18,842 bp in length, and contained 14 protein coding genes (atp6 and 8, cox1-3, cytb, nd1-6 and 4L, and msh1), two ribosomal RNAs, and only one transfer RNA. The gene content and gene order is identical to other octocorals sequenced to date. The portion of the noncoding regions is slightly larger than the other octocorals (5.08% compared to average 3.98%). We expect that the information of gene content, gene order, codon usage, noncoding region and protein coding gene sequence could be used in the further analysis of anthozoan phylogeny.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.160-174
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• 2013

Soft corals were collected from the subtidal zone in the coastal regions of Jejudo Island between 1975 and 2010. By the taxonomic work on them, three species in the subgenus Dendronephthya (Dendronephthya) and one species in the subgenus Dendronephthya (Roxasia) of family Nephtheidae were newly added to Korean fauna: Dendronephthya (Dendronephthya) aurea Utinomi, 1952, Dendronephthya (D.) koellikeri K$\ddot{u}$kenthal, 1905, Dendronephthya (D.) mucronata (P$\ddot{u}$tter, 1900), and Dendronephthya (Roxasia) decussatospinosa Utinomi, 1952. These species are mainly distributed on the rocky substratum at the southern coast from 10 and 32 m. As a result of this study thirteen species in the genus Dendronephthya have been reported from Korean waters until now.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.135-144
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• 2012

$Dendronephthya$ $castanea$ Utinomi, 1952 is a member of the family Nephtheidae, and dominates shallow waters adjacent to the southern part of Jejudo Island, Korea. This species is a gonochoric internal brooder with a sex ratio of 1:1, and releases planulae around the time of the full and new moon from July to September, when the seawater temperature peaks. The gametogenic cycle is annual, and oogenesis (12 months) is longer than spermatogenesis (4-5 months). No difference in reproductive features including sexuality, sex ratio, gametogenesis and gametogenic cycles was found between the sympatric species $D.$ $castanea$ and $D.$ $gigantea$, and there was no temporal reproductive isolation. Investigation of the morphological taxonomy and molecular biology of these species indicates that they have very similar or identical traits, suggesting an absence of speciation and a need for taxonomic reclassification.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1999.10b
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• pp.75.2-75
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• 1999

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.272-277
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• 2012

The feeding habits of black scraper, Thamnaconus modestus, were studied using 172 specimens collected in the coastal waters of Geomun-do, Korea. The size of the specimens ranged from 16.2 to 39.1 cm in standard length (SL). T. modestus was a omnivore that consumes mainly benthos. Of the benthos species nephtheidae was the most preferred prey. Its diet also includes, algae, thoracica, gastropoda, desmospongia. Small and medium size individuals (<21~33 cm, SL) fed mainly on nephtheidae and algae. Larger individuals (>33 cm, SL) fed mainly on thoracica. The proportion of nephtheidae decreased as body size increased (>33 cm, SL), whereas the consumption of thoracica gradually increased.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.327-332
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• 2008

Soft coral Dendronephthya gigantea (Verrill, 1864) is a conspicuous species dominating shallow sea waters of Jejudo Island, Korea. Recently its whole mitochondrial genome sequencing was completed by us and the sequence information provided an opportunity to test the age of Octocorallia and time of evolutionary separation between some representative orders of the subclass Octocorallia. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on 13 mitochondrial protein encoding genes revealed a polyphyletic relationship among octocorallians representing two orders (Alcyonacea and Gorgonacea) and four families (Alcyoniidae, Nephtheidae, Briareidae, and Gorgoniidae). Estimates of divergence times among octocorallians indicate that the first splitting might occur around end of or after Cretaceous period (50-79 million years ago (Ma)). The age is relatively young compared to the long history of stony sea corals (>240 Ma). Taken together our result suggests a possible relatively recent radiating evolution at least in the order Alcyonacea and Gorgonacea. Molecular dating and phylogenetic analysis based on much broader taxon sampling and many genes might give an insight into this interesting hypothesis.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.215-225
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• 2007

The azooxanthellate soft coral Dendronephthya suensoni (Holem, 1895) is distributed mainly around Jejudo Island, Korea. This species was determined as gonochoric with a sex ratio of 2:1 (female:male). Both female and male colonies have one gametogenic cycle a year. The annual reproductive cycle of D. suensoni is dependent on the seawater temperature. In particular, reproduction of the male colony showed a higher positive correlation between seawater temperature and the mean diameter of the spermaries. Gametogenesis in females and males took 6 months and 12 months, respectively. The mean diameter of a mature oocyte was $249.29\;{\pm}\;36.24\;{\mu}m$, with a maximum size of $354.45\;{\mu}m$. Spawning could have occurred in the fall after the seawater temperature began to decrease.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.51-62
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• 1976

A study on the classification of the Korean anthozoans is based on the materials which were collected during the period from October 1963 to May 1975 in the coastal seas of the South Sea and the East Sea of the South Korea. The results of the identification were turned out to be eight species, five genera, three families and one order. They are all unrecorded species in Korean anthozoan fauna. The newly recorded species are as follows: Family Alcyoniidae: 1. Bellonella rubra Brundin, 1896; 2. B. rigida Putter, 1900; 3. B. unicolor (Kukenthal, 1906); 4. Alcyonium gracillimum Kukenthal, 1906; Family Nephtheidae: 5. Paraspongodes spiculosa (Kukenthal, 1906); 6. P. hirotai (Utinomi, 1951); 7. Dendronephthya pectinata (Holm, 1985); Family Nidaliidae: 8. Siphonogorgia dofleini Kukenthal, 1906.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.319-324
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• 2000

Species boundaries among the Alcyonacean soft coral, the genus Dendronephthya, are often obscured by inter- and intraspecific morphological variations. In the present study, we attempted to infer the genetic relationships of eight dendronephthians based on their molecular characters, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of ribosomal DNA, and then compared this result together with the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) data from our previous investigation. Dendronephthya. putteri and D. suensoni formed a divaricate form - VI grade specific clade, whereas D. castanea, D. gigantea, D. aurea and D. spinifera, formed a umbellate and glomerate form - IV and III grade specific clade. Therefore, we confirmed that the main characters the growth form and the anthocodial grade and formula, are important in identification of the species in dendronephthians despite some problems. Also, the relationships of the growth form are clarified as the glomerate form is much closer to the umbellate form than to the divaricate form based on two sets of independent molecular data. However, we cannot determine the molecular markers which limit the species boundaries among this genus with ITS sequences.