• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.236-239
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• 2020

Pelagic tunicate, Thetys vagina Tilesius, 1802, is newly reported from Korean waters. The genus Thetys Tilesius, 1802 is also first recorded as Korean fauna. Thetys vagina is the only valid species in the genus Thetys. It is distinct from other genera by having at least 16 body muscles widely interrupted, no anterior proboscis, bent alimentary canal in the solitary oozooid, and five narrow body muscles, no ventral peduncle, an almost compact loop alimentary canal in the aggregate blastozooids. The specimens of T. vagina examined in this study were collected at the subtidal zone of Ulleung-do Island by scuba diving. In this paper, the detailed descriptions and photographs of both the solitary and aggregate living forms of T. vagina are provided.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.258-263
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• 2020

The aim of this study is to report monotypic species, Nonparahalosydna pleiolepis(Marenzeller, 1879) for the first time from Korean waters with its DNA barcoding data. We collected individuals of the species from the subtidal zone of southern coast of Korea through scuba diving. To estimate DNA barcoding gap, the pairwise genetic distances were calculated between N. pleiolepis and its congeners (Halosydna brevisetosa Kinberg, 1856 and Lepidonotus squamatus (Linnaeus, 1758)) based on the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI). Inter-specific genetic distances ranged from 18.7% to 24.6%, while intra-specific genetic distance within N. pleiolepis ranged from 0.3% to 0.5%. The maximum intra-specific genetic distance among the three species was 1.4%. The morphological diagnosis of N. pleiolepis with a taxonomic note on the species were also provided.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.200-203
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• 2019

A new marine sponges, Mycale (Carmia) ieoensis n. sp., of the family Mycalidae was collected SCUBA diving in June 2017 from Ieodo Ocean Research Station, Korea. M. (C.) ieoensis n. sp. is encrusting to irregular massive type, yellow in life. This new species is similar to M. nullarosette Hoshino, 1981 in color and growth form but it differs in spicule size and sigma shape. Spicule size of M. (C.) ieoensis n. sp. smaller than that M. nullarosette. Also, M. (C.) ieoensis n. sp. has two size toxa, but M. nullarosette is not. The new species are compared to other Mycale species from the Korean region, and similar species from elsewhere.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2007

Four new species, Semitaspongia jejuensis, Scalarispongia regularis, S. nigra and Dysidea violata are described from Jejudo, Korea. They were collected from 15 m depth by SCUBA diving and from intertidal area by hand. Semitaspongia jejuensis n. sp. is easily distinguished from other Semitaspongia species in growth form, conules, colour, skeletal structure, diameter of fibre and habitat. Scalarispongia regularis n. sp. is very close to S. scalaris (Schmidt, 1862) in skeletal structure, but S. scalaris has longer conules, larger meshes, longer distance between primary fibres, and highly developed subdermal canal system. Scalarispongia nigra n. sp. is very close to S. regularis in skeletal structure but can be easily distinguished by its black colour of external surface and growth form. Dysidea violata n. sp. is similar with D. ethria (Laubenfels, 1936) in sponge appearance, but D. etheria is clearly defined by its blue colour and thickness of fibre.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.335-339
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• 2021

In 2020, during a survey of cnidarian fauna around Chuja-do locating in the northern part of Jeju-do, Korea, several hydroids were collected from the subtidal zone by SCUBA diving. Through taxonomic examination, one unrecorded species, Hydrodendron stechowi Hirohito, 1995, was found in Korea. It was newly added to the list of Korean hydrozoan fauna. This species was discovered for the first time since its first report as a new species in Japan. Their vivid orange-colored colonies were attached to the sponge on rocky substrate between depths of 15 and 20 m. Thus, a total of five species belonging to genus Hydrodendron, including the species reported in this study, have been reported in Korean waters so far.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.358-361
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• 2021

The genus Rhopalaea Philippi, 1843 is firstly recorded as a Korean fauna. It is distinct from other genera of Diazonidae in order Aplousobranchia by having solitary individuals or at most two embedded in a common test. Solitary ascidian, Rhopalaea crassa (Herdman, 1880), is also newly reported from Korean waters. Rhopalaea crassa has a club-shaped body, developed thorax, a vertical gut loop and yellow patches in transparent test. Specimens of R. crassa examined in this study were collected from the subtidal zone of Jeju-do Island by scuba diving. In this paper, detailed descriptions and photographs of specimens and living forms of R. crassa are provided.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.84-90
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• 2019

The brittle star, Amphistigma minuta H.L. Clark, 1938, was collected from Munseom Island, Jeju-do, Korea, by SCUBA diving. This species has distinct morphological features, as follows: a small disk with large papillae on the disk margin; slender arms and four arm spines at proximal; and oral parts the same as those of the genus Amphipholis. Additionally, we obtained partial sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI) (513 bp) and compared them with sequences from Australian A. minuta and 13 other species of Amphiuridae. As a result, intraspecific pairwise distance was 0.4% between two Korean individuals and intraspecific distance between the Australian and the Korean populations was 2.6-2.8%, which indicates they should be considered as the same species. Ultimately, 15 species of the family Amphiuridae have currently been recorded in Korea, including A. minuta.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.242-247
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• 2022

In 2021, during a survey of cnidarian fauna around Geomundo located in the Dadohaehaesang National Park in the South Sea, complete pinnated hydroid colonies attaching on vertical rocky surface at depth of 45 m were collected by SCUBA diving. Through taxonomic examination, unrecorded species, Sertularella acutidentata Billard, 1919, is newly added to the hydrozoan fauna of Korea. Recently, taxonomic position of the genus Sertularella has been relocated into the new family Sertularellidae Maronna et al., 2016 and six species from Korean waters have been synonymized or transferred to new genera. Thus, a total of 17 species belonging to genus Sertularella, including the species reported in this study, have been reported in Korean waters so far.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.22-28
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• 2022

Two crinoid specimens of genus Tropiometra were collected from Busan and Tongyeong by SCUBA diving on August 2010 and October 2011, respectively. The specimens were identified as Tropiometra macrodiscus (Hara, 1895), which belongs to the family Tropiometridae of superfamily Tropiometroidea. The genus Tropiometra AH Clark, 1907 comprises four species worldwide at present, and it has not been reported in Korea. Tropiometra macrodiscus was first described by Hara (1895) in Japan. It is difficult to distinguish T. macrodiscus from T. afra (Hartlaub, 1890), there has been confusion with examination of their phylogenetic positions in crinoid morphological classification. Despite this, T. macrodiscus can be distinguished from T. afra based on longer arms, stouter whole-body parts, magnificently larger numbers of cirrus, and numerous segments. The morphological characteristics of T. macrodiscus collected in Korea have been described, and DNA barcode region representing cytochrome c oxidase subunit I was obtained for its molecular phylogenetic analysis.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.105-108
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• 2006

Some sea urchins were collected from the subtidal rocky bottom along the coastal line in Jeju Island by SCUBA diving in April 2005 and identified on the basis of their morphological characteristics. Among them, Asthenosoma ijimai Yochiwara, 1897 was newly recorded from Korea and redescribed based on the specimen collected at 20m deep in southern breakwater of Seogwipo harbor. The order Echinothurioida including family Echinothuriidae and genus Asthenosoma was firstly recorded in Korea. Seventeen species of echinoids are reported to be distributed in Jeju Island of Korea.