• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.220-227
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• 2011

The morphology of the two marine urostyloid ciliates, Pseudokeronopsis carnea (Cohn, 1866) and Uroleptopsis citrina Kahl, 1932, in the family Pseudokeronopsidae, collected from the Yellow Sea, and the East Sea, Korea, respectively, were studied using live observation and protargol impregnation. Additionally, the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene was sequenced. These two species are firstly recorded in Korea. The main diagnostic key is as follows. Pseudokeronopsis carnea: body outline elongate-elliptical, brown-reddish or orange-red in colour in vivo; bicorona of 16-24 frontal cirri; one buccal and two frontoterminal cirri; 7-10 transverse cirri; 5-7 dorsal kineties; two types of cortical granules (one orange-red pigment, mainly grouped around cirri and dorsal bristles, arranged in typical rubra-pattern; the other, colourless and blood-cell-shaped, and densely distributed); contractile vacuole in the posterior half of the cell on the left side, usually in posterior 1/3-2/5. Uroleptopsis citrina: body outline elongate-elliptical, lemon-yellow in colour in vivo; two types of cortical granules (one yellow pigment; the other, blood-cell-shaped, densely distributed); bicorona of 12-18 frontal cirri; 2-3 frontoterminal cirri; two midventral rows comprising 26-35 cirri (consisting of anterior paired cirri, non-paired single cirri, and posterior paired cirri); three dorsal kineties. In addition, the SSU rRNA sequences of the two species were compared with public database of these species and consequently, showed high similarity.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.228-238
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• 2011

Two urostyloid ciliates, collected from brackish water in Korea, were identified as Diaxonella pseudorubra pseudorubra (Kaltenbach, 1960) Berger, 2006 and Pseudokeronopsis flava (Cohn, 1866) Wirnsberger, Larsen and Uhlig, 1987. The description was based on living, protargol impregnated specimens. These species are described as follows: Diaxonella pseudorubra pseudorubra: body size in vivo $145-230{\times}40-60\;{\mu}m$, elongated ellipsoidal in shape. Cytoplasm reddish and flexible. Adoral zone of membranelles occupied 30-40% of the body; composed of 33-44 membranelles; 1-3 frontoterminal cirri, 1-4 frontal row cirri, 4-6 buccal cirri, 6-10 transverse cirri. Midventral rows composed of 14-24 cirri, four left marginal rows, one right marginal row. Two kinds of cortical granules; the larger one is yellowish and the smaller one is reddish. Pseudokeronopsis flava: body size in vivo $150-210{\times}30-45\;{\mu}m$, elongated ellipsoidal shape. Cytoplasm yellowish and flexible. Adoral zone of membranelles occupied 25-30% of body; composed of 44-58 membranelles in number. Frontal cirri forming bicorona composed of 5-7 cirral pairs, 2-3 frontoterminal cirri, one buccal cirrus, and 2-3 transverse cirri. Midventral rows composed of 18-33 cirri, 34-53 left marginal cirri, and 40-58 right marginal cirri. Two kinds of cortical granules; the larger one is colorless and "blood-cell-shaped," and the smaller one is yellowish. Diaxonella pseudorubra pseudorubra is different from the most similar subspecies, D. pseudorubra pulchra, in cytoplasmic color and number of midventral cirri. Pseudokeronopsis flava is different from its most similar congeners in pigment granular color, number of bicorona, number of midventral cirri, and position of the contractile vacuole.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.427-442
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• 2020

We collected indigenous Korean ciliate species from diverse aquatic and terrestrial habitats in 2018 and 2019. The morphology of these ciliates was revealed based on the observations of living cells, and protargol-impregnated and/or silver carbonate-impregnated specimens. During this study, we found 16 previously unrecorded Korean ciliate species, which are as follows: 1) class Heterotrichea - Stentor introversus; 2) class Spirotrichea - Aspidisca orthopogon, Amphisiella sinica, Epiclintes auricularis rarisetus, Apokeronopsis wrighti, Pseudokeronopsis carnea, Trachelostyla pediculiformis, Strombidium apolatum, and Varistrombidium kielum; 3) class Phyllopharyngea - Chlamydodon obliquus, Dysteria aculeata, and Hartmannula angustipilosa; 4) class Litostomatea - Paraspathidium apofuscum; and 5) class Oligohymenophorea - Frontonia angusta solea, Metanophrys sinensis, and Uronemita binucleata. Here, we provide a diagnosis for each species with a brief remark. Among them, the infraciliature of the poorly known species, Stentor introversus and Dysteria aculeata, is described for the first time. Further, we revise the Korean population of Pseudokeronopsis pararubra, which was previously misidentified as Pseudokeronopsis carnea.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.212-218
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• 2021

The seven unrecorded ciliates were collected from soil samples in Korea. The morphological study of these ciliates was performed based on observation of both living and stained cells: Rigidocortex quadrinucleatus Bharti, Kumar and La Terza, 2017, Rigidohymena tetracirrata (Gellért, 1942) Berger, 2011, Urosoma salmastra (Dragesco and Dragesco-Kernéis, 1986) Berger, 1999, Urosomoida agilis (Engelmann, 1862) Foissner, 1982, Rigidosticha italiensis Bharti, Kumar and La Terza, 2016, Eschaneustyla terricola Foissner, 1982 and Pseudokeronopsis similis (Stokes, 1886) Borror and Wicklow, 1983. Among the seven genera in this study, the genus Rigidosticha Bharti, Kumar and La Terza, 2016 is firstly reported in Korea. In this study, we provide brief descriptions and remarks for the ciliates with photographs.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.95-108
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• 2023

Ciliates are unicellular eukaryotes and one of the most abundant and speciose protistan groups. However, their diversity is underestimated, and many new species are waiting for our discovery. During several field surveys conducted from 2018 to 2021 to document indigenous Korean ciliates, 10 unrecorded ciliate species were collected and investigated from freshwater, marine, and semiterrestrial habitats. The morphology of these species was studied based on observation of living and protargol-stained specimens. These species belong to five classes as follows: 1) class Heterotrichea - Peritromus faurei; 2) class Spirotrichea - Heterotachysoma dragescoi, Pseudokeronopsis parasongi, and Certesia quadrinucleata; 3) class Nassophorea - Chilodontopsis depressa; 4) class Prostomatea - Plagiocampa rouxi and Urotricha furcata; and 5) class Oligohymenophorea - Metanophrys similis, Uronema gallicum, and Protocyclidium citrullus. Also, we provide a brief diagnosis, photomicrographs, and information of the locality for each species. Further, we compare each species with the most recent description and with similar congeners.