Abstract

Sixteen species of Asterocheres collected from the southern and eastern coasts of Korea are recorded. Two species are redescriptions-Asterocheres aesthetes Ho, 1984 and A. siphonatus Giesbrecht, 1897. The remaining 14 new species described are A. geminus n. sp., A. processus n. sp., A. culicis n. sp., A. eurychelatus n. sp., A. scutellatus n. sp., A. spiniventer n. sp., A. fici n. sp., A. serratus n. sp., A. tridentatus n. sp., A. nodulosus n. sp., A. tetraodontis n. sp., A. dokdoicus n. sp., A. exilis n. sp., and A. zodius n. sp. These new species are compared with other known species of the genus mainly based on the character states of 17 selected characters. These characters include the length/width ratios of the caudal ramus and genital double somite, the number of postgenital lateral setules or spinules on the genital double-somite of the female, the number of segments of the antennule of both sexes, the position of aesthetasc on antennular segments in the female, the relative length of terminal claw of the antenna, the relative length of the oral siphon, the number of segments and the relative length of the mandibular palp, the presence or absence of inner coxal seta on legs 1 and 4, the relative lengths of setae on the exopod of female leg 5, the presence or absence of sexual dimorphisms of swimming legs, and the presence or absence of a secondary aesthetasc on the male antennule. A key to 22 species of Asterocheres known in Korea waters is provided.