Prospect for biodiversity research on marine gastrotrichs (Phylum Gastrotricha) from South Korea

Abstract

Gastrotrichs are microscopic, free-living invertebrates ranging between 60 &micro m and 3.5 mm in length (mostly less than 1 mm). They represent one of the most important meiofaunal groups especially in the interstitial waters of marine sandy bottoms, where marine gastrotrichs are often assessed as the third in abundance following nematodes and harpacticoid copepods.Since Chang, Lee and Clausen first recorded two Thaumastoderma species in 1998, serial taxonomic studies on marine gastrotrichs have been carried out in South Korea. A total of 25 species of marine gastrotrichs are recorded from intertidal to sublittolral sediments on the Korean coast, which comprise 23 species of Macrodasyida and two species of Chaetonotida, including 20 new species (80 % of 25 recorded species).This presentation deals with the current state of faunal research on marine gastrotrichs from the Far East Asia, and future study on the unidentified and putatively new species from South Korea.dy bottoms, where marine gastrotrichs are often assessed as the third in abundance following nematodes and harpacticoid copepods.Since Chang, Lee and Clausen first recorded two Thaumastoderma species in 1998, serial taxonomic studies on marine gastrotrichs have been carried out in South Korea. A total of 25 species of marine gastrotrichs are recorded from intertidal to sublittolral sediments on the Korean coast, which comprise 23 species of Macrodasyida and two species of Chaetonotida, including 20 new species (80 % of 25 recorded species).This presentation deals with the current state of faunal research on marine gastrotrichs from the Far East Asia, and future study on the unidentified and putatively new species from South Korea.