• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.391-395
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• 2020

This study reports the pagurid hermit crab Porcellanopagurus japonicus in Korean waters for the first time. This species has a right cheliped larger than the left one, reduced and globular abdomen, and symmetrical uropods. Porcellanopagurus japonicus is similar to P. nihonkaiensis, a previously reported congeneric species in Korea, but also has distinguished morphological and ecological characters. There are currently issues with the Korean scientific name for P. japonicus, we suggest a reasonable Korean scientific name of this organism with its etymology. In addition, this species inhabits bivalve shells, which is not a typical habitat for hermit crabs, and the unique habitats of this and several other Korean hermit crabs are reviewed.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1996.04a
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• pp.37.1-37
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• 1996

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.48-55
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• 2009

The gonad maturation and spawning of blue crab, Portunus trituberculatus (Miers, 1876) using samples caught by trammer net in the western coast of Korea from January to December. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) showed the highest value of 15.0 in June and lowest value of 1.29 in August. Hepatosomatic index (HSI) showed the lowest in the spawning season from June to July. Thereafter, from August the value started to increase to 5.77 in December, showing an adverse trend against GSI. In the histological studies of the female reproductive organ, the gonad filled with primary oocytes from January to February and secondary oocytes in May. The female gonads mature from June, and mature and immature groups could be distinguished from December to February or March. In August, female developed another cycle of gonad development, showing new primary oocytes in the gonads again. Some of female crabs had receptaculum filled with already active sperm cells in it from March to May. In the time of August to September, almost all the females had the sperm sacs in the receptaculum. From the result, the coupling period estimated from August to September. Total RNA and DNA values of the crabs were highest in May (2.51, $0.57{\mu}g/mg$). The DNA value remained unchanged except for the value in May ($0.09-0.13{\mu}g/mg$). while RNA value was lowest in January ($1.08{\mu}g/mg$). The RAN/DNA ratio was the lowest (6.23%) in May and highest (18.05%) in July. The value of correlations coefficient between body weight and fecundity of the crabs was higher that of between carapace width and fecundity.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.189-194
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• 2018

To determine that Paragonimus sp. is actively transmitted in a tropical area of the Pacific region of Ecuador where human cases of pulmonary paragonimiasis have recently been documented, a total of 75 freshwater crabs were collected from 2 different streams in the Pedernales area of $Manab\acute{i}$ Province, Ecuador. All collected crabs were identified as Hypolobocera guayaquilensis based on morphological characteristics of the male gonopods. The hepatopancreas of each crab was examined by compressing it between 2 glass plates followed by observation under a stereomicroscope. Excysted Paragonimus metacercariae were detected in 39 (52.0%) crabs and their densities varied from 1 to 32 per infected crab. There was a positive relationship between crab size and metacercarial density. Sequences of the second internal transcribed spacer region of the ribosomal RNA gene of the Paragonimus metacercariae obtained in this study were identical to those of Paragonimus mexicanus deposited in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank database. Thus, the present study is the first to confirm that the crab species H. guayaquilensis is the second intermediate host of P. mexicanus in $Manab\acute{i}$ Province, Ecuador. Because this crab might be the possible source of human infections in this area, residents should pay attention to improper crab-eating habits related with a neglected parasitic disease, i.e., paragonimiasis.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.29
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• pp.2.1-2.7
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• 2014

Objectives Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is a highly conserved molecular chaperone important in the maturation of a broad spectrum of protein. In this study, an HSP90 gene was isolated from Asian paddle crab, Charybdis japonica, as a bio-indicator to monitor the marine ecosystem. Methods This work reports the responses of C. japonica HSP90 mRNA expression to cellular stress by endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), such as bisphenol A (BPA) and 4-nonylphenol (NP) using real-time. reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results The deduced amino acid sequence of HSP90 from C. japonica shared a high degree of homology with their homologues in other species. In a phylogenetic analysis, C. japonica HSP90 is evolutionally related with an ortholog of the other crustacean species. The expression of HSP90 gene was almost distributed in all the examined tissues of the C. japonica crab but expression levels varied among the different body parts of the crabs. We examined HSP90 mRNA expression pattern in C. japonica crabs exposed to EDCs for various exposure times. The expression of HSP90 transcripts was significantly increased in C. japonica crabs exposed to BPA and NP at different concentrations for 12, 24, 48 and 96 hours. The mRNA expression of HSP90 gene was significantly induced in a concentration- and time-dependent manner after BPA or NP exposures for 96 hours. Conclusions Taken together, expression analysis of Asian paddle crab HSP90 gene provided useful molecular information about crab responses in stress conditions and potential ways to monitor the EDCs stressors in marine environments.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.243-249
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• 2017

Crabs are a popular seafood item. However, they can harbor many microorganisms, heavy metals, radioactivity, and benzo(a)pyrene, which are potential health risks to humans. The objective of this study was to assess the potential of swimming crabs for use in foods such as Ganjang-gejang, by measuring their sanitary biological and chemical properties. Viable microbial cell counts in swimming crab samples were $3.4{\times}10^2-6.7{\times}10^4CFU/g$, but no coliform, Escherichia coli, or pathogenic bacteria, such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Enterohemorrhagic E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, or Salmonella spp., were detected. Heavy metal concentrations in swimming crab samples were non-detectable to 0.112 mg/kg for total mercury, non-detectable to 0.435 mg/kg for lead, and 0.115-0.836 mg/kg for cadmium. Benzo(a)pyrene concentrations ranged from $0.025-0.060{\mu}g/kg$, and the volatile basic nitrogen content ranged from 8.7-15.6 mg/100 g. No radioactivity was detected in samples. These results suggest that swimming crabs are viable for use in seafood products.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.177-184
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• 1987

The quantitative mechanics on the sideways walking of the crabs may provide a basic solution for entanglements of the walking legs in gillnets. The gaiting behaviour of the crabs on the flat board and the nettings 10, 16 and 23 mm in mesh size were experimented concerning about stepping positions and times in the laboratory using video set on July, 1984, It was found that the irregular movements of walking crabs in stepping positions and patterns were appeared on the nettings due to the absence of mechanical contact in spite of neural control of compensating, while on the flat surface evolved systematic leg movements. The mean stride length and walking velocity, which were increased with the carapace width on the flat board, as well as the step period and forward by backward stroke time were greater than those values on the netting, not associated with the carapace or the mesh size. Also, the step period and the Phase difference on the nettings revealed larger fluctuation than on the flat board. The joint angles of the walking legs, on the nettings in meropodite-carporodite and thorax-meropodite, which joint was varied especially up to below horizon because of the falling legs through the netting twine, were virtually wider than those on the flat substrate.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.117-122
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• 2008

The feeding habits of Scorpaena neglecta were studied based on an examination of the stomach contents of 478 specimens collected between January and December 2006 in the Coastal Waters off Busan. The specimens ranged from 9.0 to 23.5 cm in Standard length (SL). S. neglecta is a piscivore and consumes mainly teleosts such as Acropoma japonicum, Coelorinchus multispinulosus, Chaeturichthys stigmatias. Its diet also includes crabs, shrimps, cephalopod and stomatopod. Smaller individuals (<16 cm SL) consume mainly crabs and shrimps. The proportion of these prey items (crabs and shrimps) decreases with increasing fish size, and this decrease parallels the increased consumption of fish. The mean prey size sharply increases between 12 and 20 cm SL of S. neglecta size.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.982-987
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• 2015

During the study period, a total of 158 individuals of Synechogobius hasta were collected. The range of body length (BL) was 15.4-44.5 cm. The stomachs of 26.6% of the individuals were empty. The most abundant prey was shrimp. Among shrimp, Exopalaemon orientis was the most abundant species, being present in 27% in %IRI (index of relative importance). Fishes and crabs were also abundant prey. Analysis of ontogenetic changes, suggested that shrimp were the main prey of S. hasta of two size classes (<20 and 20-25 cm). The proportion of shrimp decreased, but that of fishes and crabs increased, with increasing body length, beginning at the 25-30 cm size class. In spring, fishes were the dominant prey, while shrimps, and crabs and fishes dominated in autumn and winter, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.10-17
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• 1999

Feeding Habits of Acanthogobius flavimanus collected from the eelgrass bed in Kwangyang Bay from January to December 1994 were studied. A. flavimanus was a carnivore which consumed mainly polychaetes, crabs, shrimps, gammarid amphipods and fishes. Its diets included small quantities of ophiuroids, gastropods, bivalves, caprellid amphipods, isopods and tanaids. It showed ontogenetic changes in feeding habits. Small individuals fed mainly on polychaetes and amphipods. While the consumption of polychaetes and amphipods decreased with increasing fish sin, the consumption of shrimps, crabs and fishes increased. A. flavimanus fed diverse prey organisms in adult stage. The relative proportion of the major prey items changed with season. Although the consumption of polychaetes, shrimps and gammarid amphipods was relatively high in spring and autumn, A. flavimanus fed various prey organisms in nearly equal proportions in the other seasons.