The animal gut is filled with highly diverse microbes associated with host metabolism, physiology, and pathology. However, numerous animal gut microbes have not been cultured or reported. We isolated various bacterial species using culture-dependent approaches during a comprehensive investigation of endangered endemic vertebrate species in the Republic of Korea. A total of 18 unrecorded bacterial species were isolated from the feces of an Oriental stork (Ciconia boyciana), and from the intestinal tracts of a cobitid fish (Kichulchoia multifasciata) and a Korean splendid dace (Coreoleuciscus splendidus). Based on a phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences, we discovered species belonging to the phyla Actinobacteria (eight species), Firmicutes (seven species), Proteobacteria (two species), and Bacteroidetes (one species). Based on their high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities (>98.7%) and formation of monophyletic clades with type species, each species was classified into an independent and predefined bacterial species. Gram-stain reaction, colony and cell morphology, basic biochemical characteristics, isolation source, and NIBR IDs for each species are described in the species description section.
The Earth contains billions of microbial species, although the vast majority cannot be cultured in laboratories and are thus considered unidentified and uncharacterized. Extremophiles are microorganisms that thrive in extreme conditions, including temperature, salinity, and pH. Extremophilic microorganisms have provided important insights for biological, metabolic, and evolutionary studies. Between 2017 and 2019, as part of a comprehensive investigation to identify bacterial species in Korea, eight bacterial strains were isolated from marine and non-marine environments in Jeju Island. These strains were cultured under extreme salinity or pH conditions. Phylogenetic analysis using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing indicated that all eight strains belonged to the phyla Gammaproteobacteria, Bacilli, and Alphaproteobacteria. Based on their high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities (>98.7%) and the formation of strong monophyletic clades with their closest related species, all isolated strains were considered as an unrecorded strain, previously unidentified species. Gram stain reaction, culture conditions, colony and cell morphology, biochemical characteristics, isolation source, and National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR) IDs are described in this article. The characterization of these unrecorded strains provides information on microorganisms living in Korea.
In the project of a comprehensive investigation of indigenous prokaryotic species in Korea, a total of 39 bacterial strains phylogenetically belonging to the classes Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria were isolated from various environmental sources such as soil, cultivated soil, sludge, seawater, marine sediment, algae, human, tree, moss, tidal flat, beach sand and lagoon. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that 39 strains showed the high sequence similarities (≥98.7%) to the closest type strains and formed robust phylogenetic clades with closely related species in the classes Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria. In the present study, we report 14 species of 9 genera of four families of two orders in the class Betaproteobacteria and 25 species of 21 genera of 15 families of eight orders in the class Gammaproteobacteria, which have not been reported in Korea. Morphological, biochemical, and physiological characteristics, isolation sources, and NIBR deposit numbers are described in the species descriptions.
A total of 35 bacterial strains were isolated from various sediment samples. From 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities higher than 98.7% and the formation of a robust phylogenetic clade with the closest species, it was determined that each strain belonged to independent and predefined bacterial species. No previous official reports have described these 35 species in Korea. The unrecorded species were assigned to 6 phyla, 10 classes, 18 orders, 23 families, and 31 genera. At the genus level, the unrecorded species were affiliated with Terriglobus of the phylum Acidobacteria, as well as with Mycobacterium, Rhodococcus, Kineococcus, Phycicoccus, Agromyces, Cryobacterium, Microbacterium, and Arthrobacter; Catellatospora of the class Actinomycetia; Lacibacter of the class Chitinophagia; Algoriphagus and Flectobacillus of the class Cytophagia; Flavobacterium and Maribacter of the class Flavobacteriia; Bacillus, Cohnella, Fontibacillus, Paenibacillus, Lysynibacillus, and Paenisporosarcina of the class Bacilli; Bradyrhizobium, Gemmobacter, Loktanella, and Altererythrobacter of the class Alphaproteobacteria; Acidovorax of the class Betaproteobacteria; Aliiglaciecola, Cellvibrio, Arenimonas, and Lysobacter of class Gammaproteobacteria; and Roseimicrobium of the class Verrucomicrobia. The selected strains were subjected to further taxonomic characterization, including Gram reaction, cellular and colonial morphology, and biochemical properties. This paper provides detailed descriptions of the 35 previously unrecorded bacterial species.
A type specimen is the specimen originally used to name a new species; thus, it is one of the most significant materials for taxonomic study. In our study on the inventory and management of endemic species in Korea, we checked the type materials for Pseudolysimachion pusanensis (Y. Lee) Y. Lee, combination name Veronica pusanensis Y. Lee, recorded as deposited at the herbaria of the Ewha Womans University and the National Institute of Biological Resources, and failed to find any specimens. Thus, we concluded that all type specimens of V. pusanensis have since been misplaced. According to articles 9.11 and 9.13 of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, it is necessary to select a neotype if the holotype is missing and no other original material exists. Therefore, we designate the neotype maintained in the herbarium of the National Institute of Biological Resources of the Republic of Korea.
Cardot (1904) first reported 98 Korean mosses, which were collected from Busan, Gangwon Province, Mokpo, Seoul, Wonsan and Pyongyang by Father Faurie in 1901. Thirty-four of these species were new species to the world. However, eight of these species have been not listed to the moss checklist of Korea before this study. Thus, this study complies the literature including Korean mosses, and lists all the species there. As the result, the moss list of Korea is updated as including 775 taxa (728 species, 7 subspecies, 38 varieties, 2 forma) arranged into 56 families and 250 genera. This list include species that have been newly recorded since 1980. Brachythecium is the largest genus in Korea, and Fissidens, Sphagnum, Dicranum and Entodon are relatively large. Additionally, this study cites specimens collected from Jeju Island, Samcheok, Gangwon Province, and Socheong Island, and it is possible to confirm the distribution of 338 species in Korea.
The Euphorbiaceae family features some of the most economically important plants that are sources of foods, oils, waxes, and medicines. The accurate identification of Euphorbiaceae species is critical in sustainable utilization of plant resources. We examined 234 sequences of nrDNA ITS, cpDNA rbcL and matK loci from 20 species in Euphorbiaceae in Korea and three outgroup taxa to develop efficient DNA barcodes. The three barcode loci were successfully amplified and sequenced for all Euphorbiaceae species. nrDNA ITS locus showed the highest mean interspecific K2P distance (0.3034), followed by cpDNA matK (0.0830), and rbcL (0.0352) locus. The degree of species resolution for individual barcode loci ranged from 75% (rbcL and matK) to 80% (ITS). The degree of species resolution was not enhanced with the different combinations of three barcode loci. The combined data set of the three loci (ITS+rbcL+matK) provided 80% of species resolution. These results confirm that ITS locus, as a single barcode, is the best option for barcoding of the Euphorbiaceae in Korea.
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.
A newly recorded species Caprella arimotoi Takeuchi, 1993, belonging to the family Caprellidae Leach, 1814, was collected from the South Sea, Korea. This species is morphologically very similar to Caprella verrucosa Boeck, 1871, with blunt dorsal projections on pereonites, oval-shaped propodus on gnathopod 2, and grasping spines on the pereopods 5-7. Caprella arimotoi originated from C. verrucosa and are difficult to distinguish because they have mixed characteristics. However, C. arimotoi was classified because of several morphological differences. The newly recorded species C. arimotoi is discernible from . verrucosa by a forwardly curved anterodorsal projection on head, elongated gills, slender pereopod 7, and lacking ventrolateral projections on pereonites 2-7. To date, C. arimotoi has only been reported in Japanese waters. So, our record is the first record in Korean waters and outside of Japan. In this study, the Korean C. arimotoi is illustrated based on the mature male specimens with a brief description of the female, focusing on the sexually dimorphic characters.
Nine free-living heterotrophic flagellates were cultured from marine intertidal sediments and freshwater sediments from Korea. These species are described with uninterpreted records based on light microscopy of living cells and reported taxonomically for the first time from Korea. Diagnostics of these species are as follows; Notosolenus hemicircularis: 9-11.8 μm long with flagellar reservoir, ventrally flattened and dorsally convex with hyaline semicircular collar around short anterior neck, and 8 ridges on cell surface. Thecamonas tranhens: 4.5-7.1 μm long, plastic with proboscis comprising an anterior flagellum surrounded by membranous sleeve. Bodomorpha minima: 4.5-7.0 μm long, rigid with small rostrum in anterior end and active anterior flagellum. Cercomonas hiberna: 5.6-10.9 μm long, very plastic with pseudopodia, cytoplasmic strand and 1 or 2 contractile vacuoles. Cercomonas pellucida: 7.5-13 μm long, plastic with pseudopodia, cytoplasmic strand and single contractile vacuole. With nucleus closely connected to basal bodies. Eocercomonas echina: 4.7-6.5 μm long, plastic with pseudopodia, cytoplasmic strand and 1 or 2 contractile vacuoles. Paracercomonas astra: 5.7-7.3 μm long, moderately metabolic with pseudopodia, cytoplasmic strand and 1 or 2 contractile vacuoles. Paracercomonas minima: 5-9 μm long, metabolic with pseudopodia, cytoplasmic strand and single contractile vacuole. Paracercomonas producta: 6.1-9.9 μm long, very metabolic with pseudopodia, long cytoplasmic strand and single contractile vacuole.
Marine benthic ciliates were collected from four rocky intertidal pools along the eastern and southern coasts of Korea from 2012-2013. Ciliate specimens were examined by observing living and stained cells. Four ciliate species were new to Korea based on morphological characteristics as follows. (1) Aspidisca polypoda (Dujardin, 1841): small bean-shaped (ca. 30 μm), eight conspicuous dorsal ridge, polystyla-arrangement of frontoventral cirri; (2) Epiclintes auricularis auricularis (Claparède & Lachmann, 1858): tripartite and auriform body (ca. 300 μm), 46 adoral membranelles, one or two frontal and 23 transverse cirri, 12 oblique fronto-midventral rows; 59 left and 71 right marginal cirri; (3) Pseudochilodonopsis marina Song, 1991: reniform body (ca. 50 μm), two obliquely positioned contractile vacuoles, seven left and five right kineties, five fragmented preoral kineties; (4) Dysteria semilunaris (Gourret and Roeser, 1888): oval-shaped (ca. 30 μm), two longitudinally positioned contractile vacuoles, conspicuous longitudinal grooves on both plates, four or five right kineties, one short row below frontoventral kineties.
Testate amoebae are easily recognized as their characteristic shells from other protistan groups. They in which more than 1,900 species have been recorded are mixture of heterogeneous groups mainly composed of Amoebozoa and Cercozoa. In Korea, 74 species of testate amoebae have been recorded since late 1980s. Here I report a list of 12 unrecorded species of testate amoebae from Korea which were discovered during 2016-2018: Arcella crenulata Deflandre, 1928; Centropyxis cassis (Wallich, 1864); C. delicatula Penard, 1902; C. hirsuta Deflander, 1929; C. orbicularis Deflandre, 1929; C. sylvatica (Deflandre, 1929); Cyclopyxis eurystoma Deflandre, 1929; C. intermedia Kufferath, 1932; C. kahli (Deflandre, 1929); Difflugia diafana Vucetich, 1987; D. manicata Penard, 1902; Awerintzewia cyclostoma Schoutenden, 1906. As a result the fauna of testate amoebae in Korea is composed of 86 species. There are still much more species remained to be discovered in Korea. The faunal studies on testate amoebae will provide us valuable information about freshwater and soil environments.
The crinoid specimens of the genus Anneissia were collected from Nokdong, Korea Strait, and Moseulpo, Jeju Island. The specimens were identified as Anneissia pinguis (A.H. Clark, 1909), which belongs to the family Comatulidae of the order Comatulida. Anneissia pinguis was first described by A.H. Clark in 1909 around southern Japan. This species can be distinguished from other Anneissia species by a longish and stout cirrus, much fewer arms, and short distal cirrus segments. The morphological features of Korean specimens are as follows: large disk (20-35 mm), 28-36 segments and 32-43 mm length cirrus, division series in all 4(3+4), very stout and strong distal pinnule with 18-19 comb and 40 arms. In Korea fauna, only three species of genus Anneissia were recorded: A. intermedia, A. japonica, and A. solaster. In this study, we provide the morphological description and phylogenetic analysis based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit I.
In this study, we briefly describe five newly recorded foraminiferal species from off the southern coast of Jeju Island: Ammolagena clavata, Neoeponides bradyi, Nodosaria lamnulifera, Rhabdammina abyssorum, and Uvigerina schwageri. Ammolagena clavata and Rhabdammina abyssorum are the first reports of the genera Ammolagena and Rhabdammina in Korea. In addition, R. abyssorum is reported from a depth of 103 m, which is a relatively shallow record within the distribution depth range for this agglutinated deepsea species. Ammolagena clavata also shows interesting characteristics that the test usually attaches to substrates including shell fragments, sediment particles, or other foraminiferal tests. All other three species have typical calcareous and hyaline tests. The present report on unrecorded species improves the understanding of foraminiferal species diversity in Korean waters and confirms the need for the further research on foraminifera in the adjacent seas of Korea.
The genus Eurycletodes Sars, 1909 is reported for the first time in Korea. A new species of the genus Eurycletodes was collected from Hansando Island, South Sea of Korea. So far, Eurycletodes comprises 27 species, with no previously recorded species reported in East Asia, including Korea. Eurycletodes (Oligocletodes) vadumus sp. nov. is morphologically most closely related to E. (O.) denticulatus Por, 1967, E. (O.) aculeatus Sars, 1920, and E. (O.) diva Menzel, 2011, but clearly distinguishable from the others based on the following morphological characteristics: absence of A2 exopodal seta, A1 last segment with two inner setae, P4 exp-3 proximal inner seta modified, the ratio of length and of caudal rami (1.6 times), and mandibular palp with three setae. Together with the new species, the number of valid species in this genus has risen to 28. A key to species of the genus Eurycletodes is provided.
An yponomeutid genus Eumonopyta Moriuti, 1977 is recorded for the first time from Korea, based on the species Eumonopyta unicornis Moriuti, 1977. Eumonopyta is distinguished from Yponomeuta by the lack of the areole in the forewing, the presence of the hindwing veins, Sc and R1 completely fused, the lack of the spinules on the gnathal processes, and the presence of three spiniform cornuti in the phallus. Eumonopyta unicornis is characterized by the presence of greenish irrotation on the forewings. The Korean records of E. unicornis are based on two male specimens from the islands, Geojedo (Gyeongsangnam-do) and Jejudo (Jejudo) and one female specimen from the island Dolsando (Jeollanam-do). External appearance and genitalia of E. unicornis are redescribed and illustrated. The occurrence status of E. unicornis in Korea is briefly discussed. With our records from Korea, the distributional range of E. unicornis is expanded from Japan and Taiwan.
This study is based on crane fly specimens collected from 1936–2019 and are in collections maintained at the United States National Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA; the Snow Entomological Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA; the Hungarian Natural History Museum in Budapest, Hungary, and the National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon, South Korea. The genus Dicranophragma Osten Sacken, 1860 with two species D. (Brachylimnophila) transitorium (Alexander, 1941) and D. (Dicranophragma) melaleucum melaleucum (Alexander, 1933), is a new record for the Korean Peninsula. New findings of Dicranomyia (Erostrata) submelas Kato et al., 2018, Dicranoptycha venosa Alexander, 1924a, Austrolimnophila (Archilimnophila) subunicoides (Alexander, 1950b), A. (A.) unica (Osten Sacken, 1869), A. (Austrolimnophila) asiatica (Alexander, 1925), Conosia irrorata (Wiedemann, 1828), Eloeophila persalsa (Alexander, 1940), E. serenensis (Alexander, 1940), E. subaprilina (Alexander, 1919), E. ussuriana ussuriana (Alexander, 1933), E. yezoensis (Alexander, 1924b), Paradelphomyia chosenica Alexander, 1950b, and P. macracantha Alexander, 1957 are discussed. General information on genera and subgenera morphological characters, redescriptions of species based on Korean specimens, illustrations of both sexes, elevation range, period of activity, habitat information, general distribution, and a distribution map for the Korean Peninsula (including North Korea) are presented for each species.
A total of 527 species of birds have been recorded in Korea. We summarize the records of three genera and six species that have been newly reported in Korea, discovered through the avian monitoring programs carried out by The National Institute of Biological Resources from 2013 to 2016. These six newly recorded species are; Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris), Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis), Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola), Blackwinged Kite (Elanus caeruleus), Mongolian Lark (Melanocorypha mongolica) and Crested Myna (Acridotheres cristatellus). One Ring-necked Duck was observed on March 23, 2014 in Jungrangcheon Stream. One male Lesser Scaup was recorded on February 24, 2014 in Gyeongpoho Lagoon. A male bufflehead was first seen in Yeongrangho Lagoon on January 26, 2013. The Black-winged Kite was first observed on January 23, 2013 at the Gangseo Wetland Ecological Park. One Mongolian Lark was also recorded on May 11, 2016 and May 12, 2017 in Marado Island. The Crested Myna was first observed on April 20, 2016 in Seomando, Island.