First Record of the Monotypic Species, Nonparahalosydna pleiolepis (Polychaeta: Polynoidae) from Korean Waters, with Its DNA Barcoding Information

Abstract

The aim of this study is to report monotypic species, Nonparahalosydna pleiolepis(Marenzeller, 1879) for the first time from Korean waters with its DNA barcoding data. We collected individuals of the species from the subtidal zone of southern coast of Korea through scuba diving. To estimate DNA barcoding gap, the pairwise genetic distances were calculated between N. pleiolepis and its congeners (Halosydna brevisetosa Kinberg, 1856 and Lepidonotus squamatus (Linnaeus, 1758)) based on the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI). Inter-specific genetic distances ranged from 18.7% to 24.6%, while intra-specific genetic distance within N. pleiolepis ranged from 0.3% to 0.5%. The maximum intra-specific genetic distance among the three species was 1.4%. The morphological diagnosis of N. pleiolepis with a taxonomic note on the species were also provided.