Abstract
Phyllodoce koreana was first described in 1985 in Gwangyang Bay, a semi-enclosed bay in Korea affected by significant organic input from the Seomjin River and dredging activities near the Gwangyang Port. Since then, this Korean endemic species has received limited attention in taxonomic and ecological studies. Phyllodoce koreana is known for its resilience to mild disturbances but is vulnerable to severe environmental changes. In this study, P. koreana specimens were collected from organically polluted Asian stalked tunicate aquaculture farms at eight sites in Jindong Bay, a location with environmental conditions similar to those of Gwangyang Bay, over the course of five sampling events from March to November. Both bays experience benthic hypoxia in summer due to elevated water temperatures and organic matter accumulation. Phyllodocid specimens were primarily collected in March and November 2023, non-hypoxic periods, suggesting potential seasonal adaptations to environmental fluctuations. The morphological features of the collected specimens were consistent with the original description of P. koreana, confirming their identification. Additionally, we reported previously overlooked morphological details, contributing to a more comprehensive taxonomic understanding of the species. We also present, for the first time, the complete mitochondrial genome of this species, comprising 15,559 bp, which provides essential genetic data for future taxonomic and phylogenetic studies. The phylogenetic analysis of protein-coding genes shows that, among 17 related polychaete species, P. koreana (family Phyllodocidae) is closely related to the family Goniadidae. Future research should expand our knowledge of polychaete taxonomy by integrating additional mitochondrial genomes and investigating the role of conserved gene synteny within Polychaeta.
Published Version
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