Min-Seop Kim

First Record of Terrestrial Talitrid Amphipod (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Talitridae) from Korea

A terrestrial talitrid amphipod, Platorchestia japonica (Tattersall, 1922), has been recorded for the first time from Korea. This species was collected from riversides (Han River, Bukhan River and Hantan River) in Korea. Descriptions of diagnostic characters of the species are provided in the text. A key to the four species of Korean Platorchestia is also provided.

First Record of Genus Sinorchestia (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Talitridae) from Korea

We present the first record of Sinorchestia sinensis (Chilton, 1925), the sandhopper, in Korea. This species was collected from the Baengnyeongdo Island of Korea. Descriptions of diagnostic characters of the species are provided on the text. A key to the species of Sinorchestia is provided.

A new beach-hopper, Platorchestia parapacifica n. sp. (Amphipoda: Talitridae), from South Korea, with molecular phylogeny of the genus Platorchestia

To date, the genus Platorchestia Bousfield, 1982 (Crustacea, Amphipoda) includes 17 species, all of which are adapted to terrestrial and supra-littoral habitats. According to a recent study, some species exist as cryptic species complexes. Here, we describe a new beach-hopper, Platorchestia parapacifica, collected from beaches in South Korea. This new species can be easily distinguished from other congeners by the morphology of its antennae 1 and 2, gnathopods, coxal plate 6, pereiopod 7, and telson. We detail the morphological characteristics of P. parapacifica, and compare it with related species. In addition, we demonstrate the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Platorchestia based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1. The results of our molecular analyses indicate that the P. platensis-complex is monophyletic and deeply divergent from the P. japonica-complex. Estimation of the genus divergence times using molecular clock analysis suggests that these species shared a most recent common ancestor during the Miocene period (7.9-10.5 million years ago). Notably, common ancestry of the P. japonica complex diverged into two species during the Zanclean and Messinian periods (3.7-6.6 million years ago), while the ancestral talitrid of the P. platensis complex diverged into three species during the Messinian and Tortonian period (6-8 million years ago). Our results reconfirm the usefulness of molecular techniques for biodiversity studies of talitrids, including phylogenetic relationships, species boundaries, and divergence times.

First Record of Platorchestia monodi (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Talitridae) from the Pacific Region

Platorchestia monodi (Mateus et al., 1986), the beach hopper, commonly lives in sea shores and was previously reported only from the Atlantic regions, such as Mid-Atlantic islands, Brazilian coast, and Israel. We present the first record of this species in the Pacific region. The present species can be clearly distinguished from related species by the shapes of gnathopods 1-2 and development of sexual dimorphism in antenna 2 and pereopod 7. Descriptions of the diagnostic characteristics of the species are provided on the text. In addition, this paper also provided the partial sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) gene of the species for its molecular characteristics.

First Record of Cleantioides planicauda (Crustacea: Isopoda: Holognathidae) from South Korea

Cleantioides planicauda (Benedict, 1899) has previously been recorded in China and Japan. In the present study, to our knowledge, we report for the first time the occurrence of this species in South Korea. Here, we provide detailed descriptions and illustrations of the diagnostic characteristics of C. planicauda. Further, for the first time, we determined the partial sequence of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) gene of C. planicauda for molecular characteristic. Additionally, we provide a key to the Korean species and distribution of the genus Cleantioides. As a result of this study, four species of the genus Cleantioides, including C. planicauda, have now been recorded in South Korea.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Alveopora japonica (Scleractinia: Acroporidae)

Abstract Here, for the first time, we sequenced the complete mitogenome of Alveopora japonica Eguchi, 1968 (Scleractinia: Acroporidae). Genome size was 17,886 bp with 13 protein-coding, two rRNA, and two tRNA genes. This gene composition was identical to the typical scleractinian pattern. Our results strongly support the recent transfer of this coral species to the family Acroporidae.

Complete sequence analysis of the mitochondrial genome of Auriculastra duplicata (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Ellobiidae)

Abstract The mitochondrial genome of the gastropod Auriculastra duplicata was completely sequenced. It was 13,920 bp in length and comprised 37 genes; two rrn genes and 22 trn genes. Phylogenetic analyses based on the concatenated protein-coding genes depicted the polyphyly of all species belonging to the family Ellobiidae; however, monophyly was observed among all species belonging to the subfamily Ellobiinae, in which A. duplicata clustered consistently with Auriculinella bidentata.

The complete mitochondrial genomes of two talitrid amphipods, Platorchestia japonica and P. parapacifica (Crustacea, Amphipoda)

Abstract In this paper, we determined the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequences of two talitrid amphipods, Platorchestia japonica and P. parapacifica. The complete mitogenomes of P. japonica and P. parapacifica were 14,780 and 14,787 bp in length, respectively, with the typical 13 protein coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) and a control region (CR). In the gene order analysis, two PCGs (nad3 and nad6) were rearranged in comparison to the typical pan-crustacean ground pattern. A maximum-likelihood tree, constructed based on 31 eumalacostracan mitogenomes, confirmed that P. japonica and P. parapacifica (Talitridae) were closely related to Parhyale hawaiensis (Hyalidae), and supports the monophyly of the superfamily Talitroidea.

The First Record of the Genus Eogammarus(Crustacea: Amphipoda: Anisogammaridae) from Korea

An anisogammarid amphipod, Eogammarus possjeticus (Tzvetkova, 1967), is newly recorded from Jindo Island, Korea, with a detailed description and illustrations. The species belonging to the genus Eogammarus are sharing several plesiomorphic characteristics, so they are similar to each other. However, Eogammarus possjeticus can be discriminated from congeners by the following characters combined: appendages are not fossorial, setations of antennae are weak, and the number and position of robust setae on pleonal epimera, urosomes, and telson are different from its congeners. This is the first record of the genus Eogammarus Birstein, 1933 from Korean waters.

First Record of Paranebalia longipes (Crustacea: Phyllocarida: Leptostraca) from South Korea

Paranebalia longipes (Willemoes-Suhm, 1875) is cosmopolitan and has been usually found in the algal and sponge debris on the sandy mud substrates. This species can be clearly distinguished from other species of Paranebalia by the presence of serration on posterior margin of pleopods, the number of articles on antennule and antenna, and number of teeth on flange of antennule fourth article. The genus Paranebalia is new to Korea. In this paper, we provide detail descriptions of the diagnostic characteristics and illustrations of the P. longipes. Additionally, type locality and world distribution of the genus Paranebalia are provided.