First Records of Two Aquatic Oxytrichid Ciliates (Ciliophora: Sporadotrichida: Oxytrichidae) from Korea

For investigation of the Korean ciliate fauna, two oxytrichid ciliates, Histriculus histrio (Muller, 1773) and Sterkiella thompsoni Foissner, 1996, were collected from freshwater and brackish waters in South Korea, respectively. These two ciliates are reported for the first time in Korea. Descriptions were based on observations of live and silver stained specimens. Diagnoses of these species are as follows. Histriculus histrio: body is approximately $190{\times}85\;{\mu}m$ in size, almost ellipsoidal in shape, posterior part rather thin and very translucent. Cortical granules are absent. Both marginal rows are almost confluent at the posterior end. Six dorsal kineties are present. Sterkiella thompsoni: body is approximately $140{\times}50\;{\mu}m$ in size. Body margins are usually in parallel. Cortical granules are absent. Invariably, four dorsal kineties are present. Two caudal cirri are located on the dorsal surface. Three ellipsoidal macronuclear nodules are present.