Fig 1 - uploaded by Il-Hun Kim
Content may be subject to copyright.
The male olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) found dead at Yangyanggun, Gangwon-do, on October 24 2017, sample ID: MABIK AR00000014. Dorsal surface of the carapace (A), pored inframarginal scute (B), lateral surface of the head (C), left forelimb (D), and left hindlimb (E).
Source publication
We report Lepidochelys olivacea from coastal waters of South Korea for the first time on the basis of two specimens (one male and one female) whose taxonomic identities were verified on morphological and molecular grounds. Four species of sea turtles, Dermochelys coriacea, Chelonia mydas, Caretta caretta, and Eretmochelys imbricata. have been recor...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... 86.3% of SCL max, and head length 23.6% of SCL max. Carapace with nuchal scute, seven vertebral scutes, six pairs of costal scutes (first pair touches the nuchal scute), 12 pairs of marginal scutes, and one pair of supracaudal scutes (Fig 1A). Plastron: with intergular scute, one pair each of gular, humeral, pectoral, abdominal, femoral, and anal scutes, Plastron bridges four pairs of inframarginal scutes, each with a pore toward the hind margin (Fig. 1B). ...
Context 2
... six pairs of costal scutes (first pair touches the nuchal scute), 12 pairs of marginal scutes, and one pair of supracaudal scutes (Fig 1A). Plastron: with intergular scute, one pair each of gular, humeral, pectoral, abdominal, femoral, and anal scutes, Plastron bridges four pairs of inframarginal scutes, each with a pore toward the hind margin (Fig. 1B). Head: triangular from above, with two pairs of prefrontal scales, three pairs of temporal scales, and four pairs of postocular scales (Fig. 1C). Limbs: two claws on each flipper (Fig. 1D, ...
Context 3
... with intergular scute, one pair each of gular, humeral, pectoral, abdominal, femoral, and anal scutes, Plastron bridges four pairs of inframarginal scutes, each with a pore toward the hind margin (Fig. 1B). Head: triangular from above, with two pairs of prefrontal scales, three pairs of temporal scales, and four pairs of postocular scales (Fig. 1C). Limbs: two claws on each flipper (Fig. 1D, ...
Context 4
... of gular, humeral, pectoral, abdominal, femoral, and anal scutes, Plastron bridges four pairs of inframarginal scutes, each with a pore toward the hind margin (Fig. 1B). Head: triangular from above, with two pairs of prefrontal scales, three pairs of temporal scales, and four pairs of postocular scales (Fig. 1C). Limbs: two claws on each flipper (Fig. 1D, ...
Context 5
... to the female (MABIK AR00000014), the male (MABIK AR00000020) has larger and more strongly curved claws (Fig. 1D, 1E), as well as a longer tail (Fig. 1A). Color: plain olive gray above, and creamy or whitish, with pale gray margins underneath. Detailed morphological and physical characteristics are given in Table ...
Context 6
... to the female (MABIK AR00000014), the male (MABIK AR00000020) has larger and more strongly curved claws (Fig. 1D, 1E), as well as a longer tail (Fig. 1A). Color: plain olive gray above, and creamy or whitish, with pale gray margins underneath. Detailed morphological and physical characteristics are given in Table ...
Similar publications
A new species of the genus Diplolepis Geoffroy, Diplolepis abei Pujade-Villar & Wang sp. nov. is described on host plant Rosa sertata Rolfe × R. rugosa Thunb. from China with an integrative approach based on molecular and morphological data. Diagnosis, distribution and biology of the new species are included and illustrated. This species is the fir...
Citations
... For olive ridley turtles, the genetic sequences from Jeju were identified based on comprehensively rearranged haplotype data (> 600 bp) from Vilaca et al. (2022). Haplotype compositions for specific habitats were derived from studies conducted in the western Pacific (Jensen et al., 2013;Kim et al., 2019;Adnyana et al., 2020;Vilaca et al., 2022) and the eastern Pacific (Duchene et al., 2012;Pinou et al., 2018;Campista Leoń et al., 2019;Silver-Gorges et al., 2020;Vilaca et al., 2022;Martıń-del-Campo et al., 2023) (Supplementary Table 6). Clustering of these haplotypes followed the divergence patterns identified in Vilaca et al. (2022). ...
... Meanwhile, two haplotypes of olive ridley turtles from Jeju Island were distinguishable from the haplotypes Lo46/Lo68 reported in the East Sea of Korea (also known as the Sea of Japan), which are associated with rookeries in the eastern Pacific (Kim et al., 2019) (Figure 2). To date, the olive ridley rookeries have not been reported in the northwestern Pacific. ...
The northwestern Pacific region is an important habitat for sea turtles, hosting five species out of seven. There is still limited information available about the sea turtle aggregations around the Korean Peninsula, which is the northern boundary for many sea turtle species in the western Pacific area. The present study aims to investigate the migratory route of sea turtles visiting Jeju Island. Five species of sea turtles were identified from by-catch and stranding data between 2013 and 2022 on Jeju Island in Korea: green (Chelonia mydas; 24 individuals), loggerhead (Caretta caretta; 9), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata; 2), olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea; 2), and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea; 1). Mixed stock analysis using mitochondrial DNA haplotypes revealed that Jeju green turtles primarily originate from the rookeries of the Japanese Archipelago. This connectivity between two regions was also supported by the similar genetic composition of loggerhead turtles. Similarly, satellite tracking data showed that several green turtles originating from Jeju Island migrated to waters near the Ryukyu Archipelago in Japan. Nevertheless, about 60% of the tracked green turtles stayed near Jeju Island, with most overwintering there, indicating the long residency in Jeju Island. This study also provides the genetic sequences of other three species including new orphan haplotypes of hawksbill and olive ridley turtles. Our findings suggest that Jeju Island serves as a stable foraging habitat and provide insight into understanding the habitat range of sea turtles in the western Pacific.
... In South Korea, five species of sea turtles have been observed: the green (Chelonia mydas), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), and olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), with C. mydas and C. caretta accounting for half of the reported sightings (Kim et al., 2019;Moon et al., 2009), most of which have been around Jeju Island (Jung et al., 2012b). In Jungmun, the southern part of Jeju Island, a hatchling crawling into the ocean was reported, so it is presumed to be used as a sporadic nesting place (Jung et al., 2012a). ...
Ghost fishing via a derelict fishing gear (DFG) is a critical threat to marine organisms. To explore the effect of DFG on sea turtle strandings, the DFG distribution was compared at two sites on Jeju Island (South Korea) with a contrasting number of strandings. Coastal areas in northern Jeju Island were surveyed during dives with scuba equipment, and the DFG from two sites, Gwideok-ri and Sinchang-ri was collected and compared in terms of quantity and size of the items. Fishing line was more common, longer, and thicker in Gwideok-ri than in Sinchang-ri, while other types of DFG did not differ between the two sites. In addition, necropsies on two log-gerhead sea turtles discovered on Jeju Island found fishing lines with fishing hooks in the oral cavity of both carcasses. This suggests that derelict recreational fishing lines may pose a significant threat to sea turtles in coastal areas.
... Five sea turtle species have been reported from the coasts of the Republic of Korea, including the loggerhead (Caretta caretta; Linnaeus, 1758), green (Chelonia mydas; Linnaeus, 1758), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata; Linnaeus, 1766), olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea; Eschscholtz, 1829), and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea; Vandelli, 1761) turtles [11][12][13][14][15]. The observation frequency of sea turtles is increasing near the Korean Peninsula [13,16], with up to 30 observations reported in one year, of which loggerhead and green turtles were the most frequently observed [11,12,16]. ...
With most sea turtle populations declining, activities to conserve their habitat and nesting grounds and restore their populations are being implemented worldwide. To preserve the Northwestern Pacific populations, the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea has been releasing artificially propagated sea turtles, but whether these individuals join the wild population remains unknown. The present study aimed to determine the movement patterns of artificially propagated juvenile loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtles fitted with satellite transmitters on their carapaces and released in the waters of Jeju or Yeosu, Republic of Korea, between August 2018 and April 2022. Loggerheads traveled northward to the East Sea, whereas green turtles moved west or southwest. Two 36-month-old and two 48-month-old loggerheads moved toward their potential nursery grounds and toward their feeding grounds, respectively. Three green turtles with a curved carapace length (CCL) of <40 cm moved toward their nursery or feeding grounds, while three individuals (CCL > 45 cm) moved toward their inshore foraging areas. The travel paths were closely related to the direction of local sea currents. Our results implied that releasing artificially propagated sea turtles, considering their age and CCL, can positively contribute to the conservation of Northwestern Pacific populations.
... Observations made by us over the years (the personal observations of Y. N. Choi, C. Yi, I.-H. Kim, and Y. N. Choi), as well as photographs provided by other authors (Moon et al., 2009;Kim et al., 2017Kim et al., , 2019Kim I. H. et al., 2020), suggest that green turtles in Korea (but also hawksbills and olive ridleys) rarely carry any barnacles. (Hayashi and Tsuji, 2008), Queensland in Australia (Limpus et al., 1994;Doell et al., 2017), Aldabra Atoll (Frazier, 1971), Mabul Island in N. Borneo (Lim et al., 2021), and Natal and Tongland (Hughes, 1974). ...
Loggerhead and green turtles inhabit all oceans except the polar regions. External surfaces of sea turtles are often colonized by epibiotic chelonibiid barnacles. Barnacle taxonomy studies in Korea began in 1985, but until present, no turtle barnacles were recorded. This suggests that either the diversity and frequency of occurrence of turtle barnacles in Korean waters are low or the turtle barnacles have been understudied. This study complies with data collected over 6 years of sea turtle stranding events in Korea (2015–2020). We examined the diversity, frequency, and intensity of turtle barnacle occurrence. Of the 55 recorded strandings, loggerhead turtles were the most common (58%), followed by green turtles (33%). Only one species of barnacle, Chelonibia testudinaria, was found on both loggerhead and green turtles. The frequency of barnacle occurrence on loggerhead turtles was 28%, with an intensity of 2.4 ± 2.7 barnacles per turtle. Notably, 11% of green turtles had barnacles, with an average of one individual per turtle. The frequency and intensity of barnacle occurrence on green turtles analyzed in this study were five times lower than that on green turtle populations in Okinawan, Bornean, and Australian waters in the Indo-Pacific. Based on these new data and the available literature, we speculated that the barnacle larval pools in cold, high-latitude Korean waters are smaller than those occurring in other locations in the Indo-Pacific. The frequency and intensity of occurrence of barnacles on loggerhead turtles in Korea fall within the range recorded in other Indo-Pacific locations. The longer migratory routes of loggerhead turtles allow them to pass through different larval pools in the Indo-Pacific water, exposing them to higher barnacle abundances.
... Additionally, hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) have been recorded (Jung et al. 2012a). Recently, olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) were reported for the first time from the coastal waters of South Korea (Kim et al. 2019). Following international efforts to protect sea turtles, these five species were designated as "Marine Organisms under Protection" by the Conservation and Management of Marine Ecosystems Act in Korea (MOF (Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries) 2021). ...
... Olive ridley turtles, which were recently found in Korean waters, were reported to be stranded in the East China Sea (Chan et al. 2007) and in Japanese waters, including the western coast of the East Sea (Fukuoka et al. 2019). However, there is insufficient information regarding the distribution of this species along the Korean shore (Kim et al. 2019). ...
Background
Sea turtles, which are globally endangered species, have been stranded and found as bycatch on the Korean shore recently. More studies on sea turtles in Korea are necessary to aid their conservation. To investigate the spatio-temporal occurrence patterns of sea turtles on the Korean shore, we recorded sampling locations and dates, identified species and sexes and measured sizes (maximum curved carapace length; CCL) of collected sea turtles from the year 2014 to 2020. For an analysis of diets through stomach contents, we identified the morphology of the remaining food and extracted DNA, followed by amplification, cloning, and sequencing.
Results
A total of 62 stranded or bycaught sea turtle samples were collected from the Korean shores during the study period. There were 36 loggerhead turtles, which were the dominant species, followed by 19 green turtles, three hawksbill turtles, two olive ridley turtles, and two leatherback turtles. The highest numbers were collected in the year 2017 and during summer among the seasons. In terms of locations, most sea turtles were collected from the East Sea, especially from Pohang. Comparing the sizes of collected sea turtles according to species, the average CCL of loggerhead turtles was 79.8 cm, of green turtles was 73.5 cm, and of the relatively large leatherback turtle species was 126.2 cm. In most species, the proportion of females was higher than that of males and juveniles, and was more than 70% across all the species. Food remains were morphologically identified from 19 stomachs, mainly at class level. Seaweeds were abundant in stomachs of green turtles, and Bivalvia was the most detected food item in loggerhead turtles. Based on DNA analysis, food items from a total of 26 stomachs were identified to the species or genus level. The gulfweed, Sargassum thunbergii , and the kelp species, Saccharina japonica , were frequently detected from the stomachs of green turtles and the jellyfish, Cyanea nozakii , the swimming crab, Portunus trituberculatus , and kelps had high frequencies of occurrences in loggerhead turtles.
Conclusions
Our findings support those of previous studies suggesting that sea turtles are steadily appearing in the Korean sea. In addition, we verified that fish and seaweed, which inhabit the Korean sea, are frequently detected in the stomach of sea turtles. Accordingly, there is a possibility that sea turtles use the Korean sea as feeding grounds and habitats. These results can serve as basic data for the conservation of globally endangered sea turtles.
Understanding the current status and recent development of the population genetics and connectivity of sea turtles is crucial for effective conservation management of the species. Five sea turtle species, green turtle (Chelonia mydas), loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) and leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), are recorded in the East Asia Region situated in the western side of the North Pacific Ocean. We compiled information from 35 published genetic studies on the five sea turtle species, with a focus on green turtle and loggerhead turtle, which are the most studied species (in 30 studies) in view of their commonness and occurrence of nesting populations. We provided an overview of the key methods and findings of these previous studies, addressing two main objectives on genetic structure of the rookeries and their differences compared to other populations, and connectivity of the rookeries and foraging aggregations. By identifying information gaps and conservation needs, we discussed future developments for sea turtle genetic studies and conservation implications in the region.
