Brief description of newly recorded eight ciliate species (Protozoa, Ciliophora) collected from South Korea

We collected ciliate species from diverse habitats (brackish water, marine water, and terrestrial ecosystems) composed of estuarine, coast, and moss samples during 2017-2018 in Korea. The morphology and infraciliature of these species were examined and identified based on the observations of living cells and protargol impregnated specimens. Of the ciliates we identified, we described eight unrecorded species in Korea as followings: class Heterotrichea - Condylostoma vorax, Peritromus kahli; class Protocruziea - Protocruzia labiata; class Spirotrichea - Hemiamphisiella granulifera; class Litostomatea - Loxophyllum chinense; class Phyllopharyngea - Trochilioides recta; and class Oligohymenophorea -Cohnilembus verminus, Uronemella filificum. Among them, Protocruzia labiata is a poorly known species. In this paper, we provide the improved diagnoses and brief descriptions of the species with their microphotographs. The taxonomic classifications of the eight species are summarized as six classes, eight orders, five families, and eight genera. These voucher slides with protargol impregnated specimens have been deposited in the National Institutes.