Intraspecific variation in Brachionus quadridentatus (Rotifera: Brachionidae) from South Korea

Abstract

Four infrasubspecific variations of Brachionus quadridentatus Hermann 1783: B. quadridentatus quadridentatus, B. quadridentatus f. ancylognathus and two variations of B. quadridentatus f. brevispinus are found in Korea and revisited to investigate the intraspecific variability in the species. Four variants investigated in this study have their distinguishable external (lorica) morphological differences, but their trophi morphology was identical. This is an indication that all these variants should belong to one species, Brachionus quadridentatus Hermann 1783, unless further analysis of DNA sequences prove otherwise.