• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.327-332
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• 2008

Soft coral Dendronephthya gigantea (Verrill, 1864) is a conspicuous species dominating shallow sea waters of Jejudo Island, Korea. Recently its whole mitochondrial genome sequencing was completed by us and the sequence information provided an opportunity to test the age of Octocorallia and time of evolutionary separation between some representative orders of the subclass Octocorallia. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on 13 mitochondrial protein encoding genes revealed a polyphyletic relationship among octocorallians representing two orders (Alcyonacea and Gorgonacea) and four families (Alcyoniidae, Nephtheidae, Briareidae, and Gorgoniidae). Estimates of divergence times among octocorallians indicate that the first splitting might occur around end of or after Cretaceous period (50-79 million years ago (Ma)). The age is relatively young compared to the long history of stony sea corals (>240 Ma). Taken together our result suggests a possible relatively recent radiating evolution at least in the order Alcyonacea and Gorgonacea. Molecular dating and phylogenetic analysis based on much broader taxon sampling and many genes might give an insight into this interesting hypothesis.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.92-96
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• 2018

In 2017, during a survey of the anthozoan fauna in the Hallyeohaesang National Park in the South Sea, several Acanthogorgia specimens were collected from the subtidal zone. Through taxonomic analysis, one species, Acanthogorgia densiflora $K{\ddot{u}}kenthal$ & Gorzawsky, 1908, was found to be previously unreported from Korea, and was, therefore, newly added to the list of Korean anthozoan fauna. This species is distributed on the slopes of the rocky substratum between depths of 14 and 24 m. Including the findings from this study, ten species of the genus Acanthogorgia have thus been reported from the Korean waters until now.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.160-174
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• 2013

Soft corals were collected from the subtidal zone in the coastal regions of Jejudo Island between 1975 and 2010. By the taxonomic work on them, three species in the subgenus Dendronephthya (Dendronephthya) and one species in the subgenus Dendronephthya (Roxasia) of family Nephtheidae were newly added to Korean fauna: Dendronephthya (Dendronephthya) aurea Utinomi, 1952, Dendronephthya (D.) koellikeri K$\ddot{u}$kenthal, 1905, Dendronephthya (D.) mucronata (P$\ddot{u}$tter, 1900), and Dendronephthya (Roxasia) decussatospinosa Utinomi, 1952. These species are mainly distributed on the rocky substratum at the southern coast from 10 and 32 m. As a result of this study thirteen species in the genus Dendronephthya have been reported from Korean waters until now.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1999.10b
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• pp.75.2-75
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• 1999

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2014

The four species of the suborder Holaxonia, Anthogorgia japonica Studer, 1889 of family Acanthogorgiidae, Astrogorgia rubra (Thomson & Henderson, 1906), Euplexaura attenuata (Nutting, 1910), and E. erecta (Kukenthal, 1908) of family Plexauridae have been newly recorded in Korea. They were collected from intertidal and sublittoral zones in the western and southern coasts and Jeju-do Island of Korea by SCUBA diving and fishing nets from 1969 to 2010. This study approaches holaxonians by focusing on external and internal morphologies including size, form, and color of colonies, branches, polyps, coenenchyme, axis, and spicules. Anthogorgia japonica is characterized by its planar growth form, dichotomously branched form, non-retractile polyps, and Astrogorgia rubra by arrangement of calyxes being situated in lateral side at stems and alternately in all sides at branches. Euplexaura attenuata is sparsely and laterally branched colony, and has straight wand-like stems. Euplexaura erecta has branches which run parallel to the main stem.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.84-96
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• 2012

Some gorgonians in the families, Primnoidae and Isididae within the suborder Calcaxonia were collected from subtidal zones between depths of 10 and 45 m in the coastal regions of King Sejong Station ($62^{\circ}13'S$, $058^{\circ}47'W$), Korea Polar Research Institute of Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI) by SCUBA diving from 2009 to 2011. Three species in the Primnoidae, $Arntzia$ $gracilis$ (Molander, 1929), $Thouarella$ ($Thouarella$) $antarctica$ (Valenciennes, 1846) and $Onogorgia$ $nodosa$ (Molander, 1929), and also one species in the family Isididae, $Tenuisis$ $microspiculata$ (Molander, 1929) are newly recorded to octocorallian fauna in Marian Cove and Potter Cove of King George Island. These four species have been described in detail.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.215-225
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• 2007

The azooxanthellate soft coral Dendronephthya suensoni (Holem, 1895) is distributed mainly around Jejudo Island, Korea. This species was determined as gonochoric with a sex ratio of 2:1 (female:male). Both female and male colonies have one gametogenic cycle a year. The annual reproductive cycle of D. suensoni is dependent on the seawater temperature. In particular, reproduction of the male colony showed a higher positive correlation between seawater temperature and the mean diameter of the spermaries. Gametogenesis in females and males took 6 months and 12 months, respectively. The mean diameter of a mature oocyte was $249.29\;{\pm}\;36.24\;{\mu}m$, with a maximum size of $354.45\;{\mu}m$. Spawning could have occurred in the fall after the seawater temperature began to decrease.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.43-52
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• 1997

Systematic relationship of 13 species representing seven orders of anthozoans, and one hydrozoan as an outgroup, were investigated. Distance and parsimony methods were used to analyze nucleotide sequence data obtained from the 18S rDNA. The inferred phylogeny indicates that two orders, Ceriantharia and Antipatharia within subclass Ceriantipatharia, are not closely related to each other. Instead, the former appears to be the most ancestral group among anthozoans but the latter is more closely related to order Actiniaria within subclass Zoantharia. The result also indicates that the actiniarian may not be a monophyletic group, because Epiactis Japonica is related more to order Scleractinia. Subclass Octocorallia appears to be a monophyletic group, within which order Pennatulacea diversed at first, and then orders Alcyonacea and Gorgonacea diversed later.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.135-144
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• 2012

$Dendronephthya$ $castanea$ Utinomi, 1952 is a member of the family Nephtheidae, and dominates shallow waters adjacent to the southern part of Jejudo Island, Korea. This species is a gonochoric internal brooder with a sex ratio of 1:1, and releases planulae around the time of the full and new moon from July to September, when the seawater temperature peaks. The gametogenic cycle is annual, and oogenesis (12 months) is longer than spermatogenesis (4-5 months). No difference in reproductive features including sexuality, sex ratio, gametogenesis and gametogenic cycles was found between the sympatric species $D.$ $castanea$ and $D.$ $gigantea$, and there was no temporal reproductive isolation. Investigation of the morphological taxonomy and molecular biology of these species indicates that they have very similar or identical traits, suggesting an absence of speciation and a need for taxonomic reclassification.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.51-62
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• 1976

A study on the classification of the Korean anthozoans is based on the materials which were collected during the period from October 1963 to May 1975 in the coastal seas of the South Sea and the East Sea of the South Korea. The results of the identification were turned out to be eight species, five genera, three families and one order. They are all unrecorded species in Korean anthozoan fauna. The newly recorded species are as follows: Family Alcyoniidae: 1. Bellonella rubra Brundin, 1896; 2. B. rigida Putter, 1900; 3. B. unicolor (Kukenthal, 1906); 4. Alcyonium gracillimum Kukenthal, 1906; Family Nephtheidae: 5. Paraspongodes spiculosa (Kukenthal, 1906); 6. P. hirotai (Utinomi, 1951); 7. Dendronephthya pectinata (Holm, 1985); Family Nidaliidae: 8. Siphonogorgia dofleini Kukenthal, 1906.