• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.233-244
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• 2002

As one of the serial studies on the taxonomy of Conthocamptus mirabilis species group in South Korea, C. semicirculus Kikuchi, widely distributed in the southern part of the Far East, and C. coreensis n. sp. from the middle west of South Korea are recorded. Intraspecific variability of some important characters like outer caudal setae and the spinous process of male leg 3 exopod was examined in Korean population of C. semicirculus. Canthocamptus coreensis n. sp. possesses the plesiomorphic characters of the round and narrow hyaline membrane of anal operculum and lacking the sexual reverse transformation in female caudal rami, while it also evolves the apomorphic ones of the modified outer apical setae of male leg 4 exopod and the spinous process of male leg 3 exopod. A key to the five species of the species group known from Korea is prepared.

• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.195-203
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• 2020

Marine yeasts have tremendous potential in industrial applications but have received less attention than terrestrial yeasts and marine filamentous fungi. In this study, we have screened marine yeasts for amylolytic activity and identified an amylase-producing strain PH-Gra1 isolated from sea algae. PH-Gra1 formed as a coral-red colony on yeast-peptone-dextrose (YPD) agar; the maximum radial growth was observed at 22 ℃, pH 6.5 without addition of NaCl to the media. Based on the morphology and phylogenetic analyses derived from sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and a D1/D2 domain of large subunit of ribosomal DNA, PH-Gra1 was designated Sporidiobolus pararoseus. S. pararoseus is frequently isolated from marine environments and known to produce lipids, carotenoids, and several enzymes. However, its amylolytic activity, particularly the optimum conditions for enzyme activity and stability, has not been previously characterized in detail. The extracellular crude enzyme of PH-Gra1 displayed its maximum amylolytic activity at 55 ℃, pH 6.5, and 0%-3.0% (w/v) NaCl under the tested conditions, and the activity increased with time over the 180-min incubation period. In addition, the crude enzyme hydrolyzed potato starch more actively than corn and wheat starch, and was stable at temperatures ranging from 15 ℃ to 45 ℃ for 2 h. This report provides a basis for additional studies of marine yeasts that will facilitate industrial applications.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.154-158
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• 2020

The Asian crested ibis Nipponia nippon is one of the world's most endangered species. Except for the Sanxii population from China, it is known that all of the crested ibis populations from East Asia have been extinguished. In these days, most of them are being inbred as captive populations in China, South Korea, and Japan, which caused their low expected genetic diversity. Microsatellite markers are well known as a suitable DNA marker for exploring genetic diversity among captive populations of a variety of endangered species. In the present study, ten microsatellite markers were developed for the captive populations of the South Korean crested ibis, which were employed to examine the level of genetic diversity with the two founders from Sanxii, China and the 70 descendants of them. As a result, the mean number of gene diversity, observed heterozygosity, and expected heterozygosity of the captive population were 0.70, 0.84, and 0.70 respectively. It revealed that the captive population of South Korea is as genetically more stable than we expected. In addition, the principal coordinates analysis and genetic structure analyses showed that the captive population of N. nippon can be divided into the two different genetic groups. The developed microsatellite markers here could be helpful for crested ibis conservation in East Asian countries such as China and Japan as well as South Korea.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 1998

The taxonomic revision of the genus Carcharhinus in Korea was made based on the shark specimens collected in the western and southern coasts including Cheju Isl. of Korea from July 1996 to April 1997. Five species were recognized from the Korean waters and they are described herein. Among them, two species of Carcharhinus dussumieri (Valenciennes, 1839) and Carcharhinus sorrah (Valenciennes, 1839) were collected for the first time from the Cheju Isl. coast of Korea. Carcharhinus dussumieri differs from other species of genus Carcharhinus in following morphological characters: a black or dark spot on the sencond dorsal fin but no other markings, a small first triangular dorsal fin and a second dorsal fin with a short inner margin, and Carcharhinus sorrah: conspicuous black tips on the ventral caudal lobe, pectoral and second dorsal fins, and low second dorsal with a inner margin.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.192-207
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• 2012

To supply the morphological and ecological information of oligotrich ciliates in Korea, water samples were seasonally collected in Gwangyang Bay and Jinhae Bay from August, 2010 to February, 2012 and processed by quantitative protargol staining method. As a result, six species belonging to the genus Strombidium Clapar$\grave{e}$de and Lachmann, 1859 are identified: Strombidium emergens Kahl, 1932; S. dalum Lynn et al., 1988; S. epidemum Lynn et al., 1988; S. tressum Lynn et al., 1988; S. bilobum Lynn and Gilron, 1993; S. pollostomum Lynn and Gilron, 1993. These six species were newly reported from Korean coastal waters. Strombidium emergens is a middle sized Strombidium ($20-50{\mu}m$ in length) and has open and deep oral groove to girdle portion. Strombidium dalum is a small sized Strombidium (${\geq}20{\mu}m$ in length), that has torch-like spiral anterior membranelles and an inverted triangles-shaped macronucleus on the posterior pole. The small sized S. epidemum has conspicuous trichites surrounding the girdle portion and ventral membranelles distinctly separated from anterior membranelles. The small sized S. tressum has torch-like spiral and extremely long trichites among the cilia of anterior membranelles. The middle sized S. bilobum has a bilobed macronucleus. Strombidium pollostomum is also a small sized Strombidium but its ventral membranelles are continuously connected with anterior membranelles. The five species except S. emergens occurred frequently over the wide range of water temperatures and salinities.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 2010

The Russian ratsnake, Elaphe schrenckii, is found in Russia, China, and Korea, and is considered to be an endangered species by the Ministry of Environment in South Korea. Due to habitat loss and use in oriental medicine, their population has been severely decimated. In South Korea, two subspecies of E. schrenckii has been defined according to body color: E. s. schrenckii (blackish) and E. s. anomala (yellow-brownish). Molecular genetic studies on Elaphe schrenckii are very scarce and the taxonomy of Elaphe schrenckii subspecies is uncertain. From the present study, we attempted to identify the genetic differences of these two subspecies using species-specific microsatellites developed from the genomic library of E. schrenckii. Nine polymorphic loci were tested on 19 individuals from E. s. schrenckii (n=10) and E. s. anomala (n=9) in South Korea. The mean number of alleles was 3.78 in E. s. schrenckii and 4.11 in E. s. anomala. The average expected heterozygosity was 0.542 and 0.511 in E. s. schrenckii and E. s. anomala, respectively. We found a lack of genetic structure between two subspecies ($F_{ST}=0.016$) and no genetic discrimination between two subspecies was found. Based on the present findings by microsatellites, two subspecies can be considered as one species, E. schrenckii. However, further investigations on taxonomical status using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences need to be performed and morphological & ecological data should be revised. The genetic markers should benefit future studies of the endangered species of other Elaphe species for the study of genetic diversity and potential conservation management.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.25-33
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• 2011

Three morphospecies of the genus Uronychia, i.e. U. setigera Calkins, 1902, U. binucleata Young, 1922, and U. multicirrus Song, 1997, were collected from the coastal waters of Gumjin-ri on the East Sea and the public waterfront of Incheon on the Yellow Sea in Korea, respectively. These species are described based on live observation, protargol impregnation, silver nitrate impregnation, and their morphometrics. Diagnostic keys for these species are also provided. In addition, their small subunit ribosomal DNA sequences were compared with previously known sequences of Uronychia species. Diagnostics of three Uronychia species are as follows: U. setigera: $50-80\;{\mu}m$ long in vivo, oval-shaped, 2 macronuclear nodules (Ma), 1 spur on the left margin, 11 adoral membranelles (AM) 1, 4 AM2, 1 buccal cirrus (BC), 4 frontal cirri (FC), 3 left marginal cirri (LMC), 2 ventral cirri (VC), 5 transverse cirri (TC), 3 caudal cirri (CC), 6 dorsal kineties (DK), and approximately 23 cilia in the leftmost kinety. U. binucleata: $70-110\;{\mu}m$ long in vivo, oval to slightly rectangular shaped, 2 Ma, 1 micronucleus (Mi), 2 spurs on the posterior region, 11 AM1, 4 AM2, 1 BC, 4 FC, 3 LMC, 2 VC, 5 TC, 3 CC, 6 DK, and approximately 37 cilia in the leftmost kinety. U. multicirrus: $140-200\;{\mu}m$ long in vivo, oval to slightly rectangular shaped, ca. 7 Ma, 1 Mi, 11 AM1, 4 AM2, 1 BC, 4 FC, 3 LMC, approximately 8 VC, 5 TC, 3 CC, and 6 DK. This study presents the first record of this genus in Korea.

• ALGAE
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2010

Although Pterocladiella is a well-known agar-producing red algal genus, its taxonomy in Korea appears to be confused. In the present study, we demonstrate the occurrence of Pterocladiella nana and P. tenuis, as well as P. capillacea in Korea on the basis of morphological and plastid rbcL sequence comparisons. P. capillacea commonly occurs along the coasts of Korea and has regular pinnate branches with abundant second-order branches, growing up to 10 cm in length. P. nana occurs in the intertidal zone of Jeju and is distinguished by the small size of its thalli (up to 5 cm) and regular branches with up to third-order branches. P. tenuis is distributed mostly subtidally on the southern coast of Jeju and has irregular branches with rarely second-order branches, growing up to 19 cm in length. We determined rbcL sequences from 19 specimens (15 from Korea and four from France) and downloaded 28 sequences from GenBank. Analyses of all 47 rbcL sequences revealed that each of three species was consistently resolved. P. capillacea and P. tenuis always formed a sister clade with P. nana at the base. Given that 12 rbcL haplotypes from 28 specimens of P. capillacea have been found to date, analysis of a fast-evolving gene from across the range of the species should highlight its genetic diversity.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.237-246
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• 2009

Inter-specific relationships among six species and two varieties, belonging to Scrophularia (Scrophulariaceae), in Korea were re-examined based on both morphological and molecular data. Scrophularia takesimensis, a Korean endemic species, should be separated from S. grayana as an independent species based upon unique morphological characters such as non-winged stems, thickened leaves and glabrous surfaces of leaves, even though they share a lot of other features. It was found that S. grayana is distributed in Sokcho in Korea and along the coast of the East Sea north to far eastern Russia. Although some morphologies of three taxa, S. cephalantha, S. koraiensis var. velutina and S. kakudensis var. microphylla appeared to differ from each other, their ITS DNA sequence data was similar to that of S. kakudensis, suggesting that they might better be designated with the later species. The taxonomic position of S. koraiensis, only found in Korea, has been ambiguous, but ITS DNA sequence data in this study revealed that this species is distinct from S. kakudensis. Consequently, we conclude that the genus Scrophularia in Korea includes five species.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.57-93
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• 2003

Twelve species in five genera of parasitic copepods are recorded from seventeen species of freshwater fishes of Korea. They are Ergasilus coniformis n. sp., Ergasilus ventriosus n. sp., E. briani Markewitsch, E. peregrinus Heller, Neoergasilus joponicus (Harada) N. lonsispinosus Yin, N. inflatus Yin, N. bullatus n. sp., N. angustus n. sp., Sinergasilus undulatus (Markewitsch), Lernaea cyprinacea L., and Lamproglena chinensis $Y{\"{u}}.$ As the most prevalent parasitic copepod, Neoergasilus japonicus is found to parasitize as many as ten species of freshwater fishes in Korea. The fish Zacco platypus, from which seven species of parasitic copepods are discovered, turned out to be the most preferred host of the parasitic copepods in this country. Full descriptions are given of the new species and new records of Korea. Lamproglena chinensis, an incompletely known species, is also redescribed.ibed.