Morphology and phylogeny of an unarmored dinoflagellate, Karlodinium jejuense sp nov (Gymnodiniales), isolated from the northern East China Sea

An unarmored dinoflagellate, Karlodinium jejuense sp. nov., was isolated from the northern East China Sea. The species was characterized by light, fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy of laboratory cultures, as well as SSU rDNA, ITS region (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) and LSU rDNA gene sequences. Cells were ellipsoid to oval, small-sized, 9.9-16.0 pm in length and 6.2-12.7 pm in width. The chloroplasts were 7-10 in number and yellow-green in color. The central nucleus was large, located in the center of the cell. The linear apical groove with outward thick rolled margins was very short, and there was no ventral pore. Small pores were irregularly distributed on the cell surface. The amphiesmal vesicles were hexagonal and pentagonal. Karlodinium jejuense was morphologically similar to K. ballantinum but differed in cell surface characteristics and swimming pattern. The partial LSU sequence of K. jejuense differed by 3.7-4.1% from that of K. ballantinum. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of multigene sequences revealed that K. jejuense was an independent species nested within the Karlodinium Glade. Phylogenetic analysis based on partial LSU rDNA gene sequences indicated that K. jejuense was most closely related to K. gentienii and K. ballantinum.