Distributional spread and DNA barcoding of invasive species, Thalamoporella californica (Levinsen, 1909) (Bryozoa, Cheilostomatida, Thalamoporellidae) in Korean waters

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Thalamoporella californica (Levinsen, 1909) is an invasive bryozoan species first found on ropes at the Tongyeong Yacht Marina in 2020. It was subsequently found in Geojedo Island (Beopdong-ri and Gujora Harbor), Tongyeong Yacht Marina, Hansando Island in the South Sea, and Yangpo Yacht Marina in the East Sea. This suggests that the distribution of T. californica has gradually expanded from its initial detection in Korean waters. We also analyzed the DNA barcode region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) of T. californica. The intra-specific COI sequence variation of T. californica collected from three different localities in this study ranged from 0.002 to 0.014. T. californica and T. lioticha were separated by a genetic distance of 0.328-0.338. The present study provides COI sequences that can be utilized in molecular research on T. californica and the genus Thalamoporella and basic information to eDNA-based methods for quick identification of marine invasive species.