Abstract

Surveys conducted in various habitats across Korea from 2021 to 2023 resulted in the identification of seven previously unrecorded species of monogonont rotifers: Testudinella tridentata Smirnov, 1931, Brachionus kostei Shiel, 1983, Squatinella lamellaris (Müller, 1786), Squatinella longispinata (Tatem, 1867), Notommata copeus Ehrenberg, 1834, Trichocerca cavia (Gosse, 1886), and Trichocerca taurocephala (Hauer, 1931). Squatinella longispinata was discovered in soil samples, while the other six species were collected from freshwater habitats. Studies on many monogonont taxa, particularly the illoricated group, have been insufficient in Korea, but ongoing research continues to discover unrecorded species in freshwater and other environments. These findings underscore the importance of comprehensive surveys in diverse habitats, such as soils or saline waters, to fully understand the biodiversity of monogonont rotifers in Korea. Morphological diagnoses accompanied by detailed illustrations and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images are provided for each species. Additionally, partial sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene for these species, excluding T. tridentata, are presented for molecular characterization.