title: Morphological Description and Molecular Phylogeny of Two Species of Levicoleps (Ciliophora, Prostomatida), L. taehwae nov. spec. and L. biwae jejuensis nov. subspec., collected in Korea.
abstract: Two colepid ciliates, Levicoleps taehwae nov. spec. and L. biwae jejuensis nov. subspec., were collected from the brackish water of the Taehwa River and a small freshwater pond in Jeju Island, South Korea, respectively. Their living morphology, infraciliature, and small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequences were determined using standard methods. Barrel-shaped L. taehwae nov. spec. is a small ciliate with an average size of 45 × 25 μm in vivo, about 15 ciliary rows each composed of 12 monokinetids and two perioral dikinetids, and two 20 μm-long caudal cilia. The sequence length and GC content of the SSU rRNA gene are 1,669 bp, 44.5%. This novel species is similar in body size to Coleps hirtus, and has six armor tiers and hirtus-type tier plates, and the same number of ciliary rows as C. hirtus; however, it can be distinguished from the latter by the absence of armor spines and its sequence similarity of SSU rRNA gene is about 92.8% which indicates that it is a distinct form. Levicoleps biwae jejuensis nov. subspec., is a medium colepid ciliate which has a barrel-shaped body, about 22 somatic kineties and 16 transverse ciliary rows, three mini adoral organelles, and four 15 μm-long caudal cilia. The sequence length and GC content of the SSU rRNA gene are 1,666 bp and 44.4%.
authors.affiliation: School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China.
authors.forename: Xiangrui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, 44610, South Korea.
authors.forename: Shahed Uddin Ahmed
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Shazib
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, 44610, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Hye
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, 44610, South Korea.
authors.forename: Seok Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, 44610, South Korea.
authors.forename: Mann Kyoon
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D002923:Cilia / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016798:Ciliophora / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D005618:Fresh Water; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D015388:Organelles / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010802:Phylogeny; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S
keywords: Brackish water; SSU rRNA; ciliate; freshwater; new species; new subspecies; taxonomy