elSSN : 2234-8190
elSSN : 2234-8190
elSSN : 2234-8190
Discovery of Trans-Arctic Nudibranch Species, Coryphella amabilis and Dendronotus zakuro (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in Korean Waters
Damin Lee1,2, Yukyung Kim2, Jina Park2, Joong-Ki Park2,*
1Independent Researcher, Seoul 07072, Korea
2Division of Ecoscience, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea
The Nudibranchia Cuvier, 1817 is a group of soft-bodied, marine gastropod order (often called sea slugs) belonging to the subclass Heterobranchia Burmeister, 1837. This order comprises more than 2,600 species worldwide, but only a relatively small fraction of nudibranch species diversity-89 species-has been reported in Korean waters to date, awaiting further investigation in faunal studies in Korea. During our field survey of nudibranch fauna in Korea, we discovered two trans-Arctic species Coryphella amabilis and Dendronotus zakuro from Gangwon-do province in the East Sea of Korea. In this study, we present detailed morphological descriptions of the body and radula characters of the two newly discovered species and compare them with their close relatives based on molecular analysis as well. The morphological and molecular data presented in this study will contribute to the accurate identification of nudibranch species and provide diagnostic morphological traits and genetic information that help differentiate them from closely related congeneric species.
Coryphella, Dendronotus, allopatric speciation, morphological variation, species delineation, DNA barcode information