New records of three lecanid rotifers(Rotifera: Monogononta: Lecanidae) from Korea

In this study, three lecanid rotifer species were newly recorded in Korea: Lecane inermis (Bryce, 1892), L. furcata (Murray, 1913), and L. nana (Murray, 1913). Most of the lecanid rotifers recorded in Korea have been collected from stagnant water, and Lecane furcata and L. nana were collected from a reservoir. In contrast, L. inermis was found in a soil sample. Lecane inermis is the first illoricated lecanid species reported in Korea. This species is distinguished from other illoricated species by its toes with relatively long claws. Lecane furcata is the most common lecanid rotifer in submerged vegetation. The morphological characteristics of its lorica are similar to many other lecanid rotifers, but it can be distinguished by its completely fused toes with a terminal fissure, an absence of antero-lateral spines, and the ratio of lorica/toe length. Lecane nana is most similar to L. tryphema Harring & Myers, 1926, but can be distinguished by the toe tips curved outwards. The three species in this study are considered to have a cosmopolitan distribution and have been recorded in many Asian countries. In this paper, we describe the morphological characteristics of the three lecanid species with trophi structures observed by scanning electron microscope.