• Journal of Species Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.95-108
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• 2023

Ciliates are unicellular eukaryotes and one of the most abundant and speciose protistan groups. However, their diversity is underestimated, and many new species are waiting for our discovery. During several field surveys conducted from 2018 to 2021 to document indigenous Korean ciliates, 10 unrecorded ciliate species were collected and investigated from freshwater, marine, and semiterrestrial habitats. The morphology of these species was studied based on observation of living and protargol-stained specimens. These species belong to five classes as follows: 1) class Heterotrichea - Peritromus faurei; 2) class Spirotrichea - Heterotachysoma dragescoi, Pseudokeronopsis parasongi, and Certesia quadrinucleata; 3) class Nassophorea - Chilodontopsis depressa; 4) class Prostomatea - Plagiocampa rouxi and Urotricha furcata; and 5) class Oligohymenophorea - Metanophrys similis, Uronema gallicum, and Protocyclidium citrullus. Also, we provide a brief diagnosis, photomicrographs, and information of the locality for each species. Further, we compare each species with the most recent description and with similar congeners.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.251-268
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• 2020

Ciliates are a speciose protozoan group and their diversity is still not well investigated in Korea. From our field surveys, 18 unrecorded ciliate species were collected from a total of nine localities in Korea. The field surveys were conducted in 2018 and 2019, and the unrecorded ciliates were found from terrestrial (moss and soil samples) and inland water (river and lagoon samples) habitats. The morphology of these ciliates was studied using the observation of living and silver impregnated (protargol) specimens. The present species belong to five classes as follows: 1) class Spirotrichea - Gonostomum kuehnelti, Quadristicha setigera, Lamtostyla decorata, L. islandica, L. longa, Anteholosticha brachysticha, Pseudobirojimia muscorum; 2) class Litostomatea - Apocoriplites lajacola, Epispathidium amphoriforme, Protospathidium muscicola, Phialinides australis, Paraenchelys wenzeli, Rimaleptus similis; 3) class Nassophorea - Drepanomonas revoluta; 4) class Colpodea - Bryometopus triquetrus; and 5) class Oligohymenophorea - Cyclidium glaucoma, Epistylis pygmaeum, Pseudovorticella vestita. The globular macronuclear nodules of P. vestita were observed for the first time in the Korean population.