• Journal of Species Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.108-116
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• 2022

During a field survey to report unrecorded Korean ciliates, we collected five anaerobic ciliate species in two samples from freshwater and marine environments. These species belong to the classes Armophorea and Plagiopylea. The morphology of these species was studied based on live observations, protargol impregnation, and scanning electron microscope. Brachonella contorta is characterized by a size of 80-100×40-60 ㎛ in vivo, a bullet-shaped body, and about 60 oral polykinetids making 360° spiral around long axis. Brachonella pulchra is characterized by a size of 80-110×50-70 ㎛ in vivo and adoral zone composed of about 40 oral polykinetids with minimal spiralization. Metopus setosus is characterized by a size of 45-70×20-30 ㎛ in vivo, about 22 ciliary rows, very long caudal cilia, and 20 oral polykinetids. Plagiopyla nasuta is a freshwater species characterized by a size of 80-120×50-60 ㎛ in vivo, striated band present, straight extrusomes, and about 70 somatic ciliary rows. The marine Plagiopyla frontata is characterized by a size of 80-120×40-60 ㎛ in vivo, an oval to ellipsoid body shape, 50-60 somatic ciliary rows, and curved extrusomes.