title: First report of the epiphytic benthic dinoflagellates Coolia canariensis and Coolia malayensis in the waters off Jeju Island, Korea: morphology and rDNA sequences.
abstract: Coolia spp. are epiphytic and benthic dinoflagellates. Herein, we report for the first time, the occurrence of Coolia canariensis and Coolia malayensis in Korean waters. The morphology of the Korean strains of C. canariensis and C. malayensis isolated from the waters off Jeju Island, Korea was similar to that of the original Canary lslands strains and Malaysian strains, respectively. We found several pores and a line of small knobs on the pore plate, and perforations within the large pores of both C. canariensis and C. malayensis. The plates of the Korean strains of C. canariensis and C. malayensis were arranged in a Kofoidian series of Po, 3', 7'', 6c, 6s, 5''', and 2'''', and Po, 3', 7'', 7c, 6-7s, 5''', and 2'''', respectively. When properly aligned, the large subunit (LSU) rDNA sequence of the Korean strain of C. canariensis was identical to that of the Biscayan strains, but it was 2-3% different from the Canary lslands strain VGO0775 and the Australian strain. In addition, the sequences of small subunit (SSU) and/or LSU rDNA from the two Korean strains of C. malayensis were < 1% different from the Malaysian strains of C. malayensis and the Florida strain CCMP1345 and New Zealand strain CAWD39 ("Coolia monotis"). In phylogenetic trees based on LSU rDNA sequences, the Korean strains of C. malayensis belonged to a clade including the Malaysian strains and these two strains. Therefore, based on genealogical analyses, we suggest that the Korean strain of C. canariensis is closely related to two Atlantic strains and the Australian strain, whereas the Korean strains of C. malayensis are related to the Malaysian strains of C. malayensis and the Florida and New Zealand strains.
authors.affiliation: School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-747, Korea. hjjeong@snu.ac.kr
authors.forename: Hae Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Wonho
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yih
authors.forename: Nam Seon
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Sung Yeon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eun Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Yeong Du
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Hyung Seop
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong Hyeok
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics*; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D004141:Dinoflagellida / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012623:Seawater / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal