Abstract

The melaniid snails belonging to genus Semisulcospira were collected in the Kangwha and Yonchon areas of Korea in 1986 through 1987 in order to carry out a cytotaxonomic study, The snails were first narcotized with menthol and fixed with 70% ethyl alcohol for morphological identification. The gonads of adult snails were used for chromosome analyses by the technique of Imai et al. (1977) with minor modification. Slide preparations were observed under high power fields using a Leitz light miscroscope. The results obtained in the present stuedy are summarized as follows: 1)The sanils collected from Kangwha and Yonchon areas were identified as Semisulcospira forticosta(Martens, 1886)and S. gottschei (Martens, 1886) respectively.2)No specific differences were obwerved in details of the chromosome cycle between S. forticosta and S. gottschei.3) Diploid chromosome numbers observed at mitotic metaphase were 36. There was no difference in chromosome numbers between S. forticosta and S. gottschei.4) There were morphological differences in the karyotypes of the two species. The spermatogonial metaphase karyotype of S. forticosta consists of six pairs of metacentric, eleven pairs of submetacentric, and one pair of acrocentric chromosomes. The spermatogonial metaphase karyotype of S. gottschei consists of five pairs of metacentric, tselve pairs of submetacentric, and one pair of acrocentric chromosomes. Summarizing the aboxe results, the two species of Semisulcospira employed in this study have same chromosome numbers(2n=36)with different karyotypes.