• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.507-512
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• 2012

One leptocephalus (TL 59.9 mm) from the family Ophichthidae collected from Jeju Island, Korea, was identified using morphological and molecular methods. Our ophichthid leptocephalus was identified as belonging to the genus Muraenichthys based on morphological characters: 157 myomeres; the origin of the dorsal fin located a little in front of the anus; a distinct melanophore present on the opercle; and six gut swellings present. An analysis of 886 base pairs of the 12S rRNA mtDNA sequences showed that our leptocephalus must be Muraenichthys gymnopterus, because its sequences were concordant with those of an adult M. gymnopterus (d=0.001) and next to those of Muraenichthys sp. leptocephalus (d=0.034). Here, we are the first to describe the morphological characteristics of the M. gymnopterus leptocephalus.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.318-323
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• 2008

A single specimen of the ophichthid Muraenichthys gymnopterus (254.6 mm TL) was collected from the middle Yellow Sea off Incheon, Korea. It represents the first record of the species, the genus, and the subfamily from Korea. This species is characterized by the following combination of characters: a constricted midlateral gill opening; dorsal fin origin before anus, closer to the anus than to the gill opening; blunt teeth, jaw teeth in bands, and multiserial dentition; third preopercular pore present; single infraorbital pore between anterior and posterior nostrils; brownish colour; depth and width of gill opening 43.2 times and 33.7~65.3 times in total length, respectively; eye diameter 15.0~31.0 times in head length and total vertebrae 154~161. New Korean names are proposed, "Gaet-mul-baem-a-gwa" for the subfamily Myrophinae, "Gaet-mul-baem-sok" for the genus Muraenichthys, and "Gaet-mul-baem" for M. gymnopterus.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.46-60
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• 2011

A taxonomic review of 6 genera and 10 species in the family Ophichthidae was carried out based on specimens from the adjacent waters of Korea. The number of vertebrae distinguished the species of each genus: Ophisurus macrorhynchos (201~209), Ophichthus rotundus (178~183), Pisodonophis zophistius (179~182), P. cancrivorus (153~164), Echelus uropterus (152~158), Muraenichthys gymnopterus (155~156), Ophichthus evermanni (150~154), Brachysomophis porphyreus (137~148), Ophichthus urolophus (135~138), Ophichthus asakusae (124~134). Snout length in head length distinguished the 6 genera: Ophisurus (27.2~31.2), Echelus (18.0~27.7), Ophichthus (12.3~21.5), Pisodonophis (16.5~20.8), Muraenichthys (11.4~11.9), Brachysomophis (9.1~9.4). A key to the 6 genera and 10 species of the family Ophichthidae from the adjacent waters of Korea is provided.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.415-424
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• 2012

Four species of ophichthid leptocephali were identified using 12S rDNA sequences, and their morphological descriptions were first provided based on six individuals (S1-S3,M1, and E1-E2) collected from the East Sea and the Korea Strait between September 2008 and October 2010. Mitochondrial 12S rDNA 859-861 base pairs of ophichthid leptocephali were compared with those of 16 ophichthids adult and 2 outgroups (Anguilla japonica and Conger myriaster). Leptocephali of S1 and E1 were very closely clustered with adult of Scolecenchelys borealis (D=0.002) and Echelus uropterus (D=0.000), respectively. However, leptocephali of S2-S3 andM1 were slightly far clustered with leptocephalus of S1 (D=0.006) and adult of Muraenichthys gymnopterus (0.034), respectively. We believe that S1 and E1 are S. borealis and E. uropterus, respectively, in which the former is unrecorded species in Korea. However, S2-S3 and M1 may be undescribed species belonging to genus Scolecenchelys and Muraenichthys, respectively, because total numbers of myomeres for S2-S3 (148-158) and M1 (151) were not consistent with total numbers of vertebrae or distribution for any adult of Scolecenchelys spp. and Muraenichthys spp. in the world. We propose the new Korean name 'Dong-hae-mul-baem' for S. borealis.