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<p>The sea butterfly <i>Cavolinia uncinata</i> is a holoplanktonic pteropod mollusk inhabiting subtropical to tropical warm-water regions. It is widely used as a biological indicator of ocean acidification due to its aragonite shell. Here, we report a swarm of <i>C. uncinata</i> in the Korea Strait, observed during a field survey in May 2025, and describe its characteristics. The maximum population density was recorded at 11.2 ind. m<sup>−3</sup> at an offshore station (400-13), with an average of 3.1 ind. m<sup>−3</sup> across 10 of 15 surveyed stations. The swarm extended at least 250&#xa0;km along the northeast–southwest survey transect, primarily distributed within the main stream of the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC). Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that abundance of <i>C. uncinata</i> was strongly associated with offshore TWC stations characterized by warm, saline waters with low chlorophyll concentrations, characteristics consistent with those of waters advected along the Kuroshio–TWC pathway. Morphological and morphometric analyses, confirming a mean shell length of 8.5&#xa0;mm and mean shell width of 6.7&#xa0;mm, together with <i>COI</i>- and 28S rDNA-based phylogenies, confirmed the identity of the species as <i>C. uncinata</i> and placed the Korean specimens in the Pacific lineage. Taken together, these findings suggest that the widespread occurrence of a subtropical/tropical calcifier at latitudes up to 34° N represents an incipient poleward extension of range under oceanic warming, with potential consequences for carbonate export and regional food-web structure. Continued, seasonally resolved surveys and genetic assays are warranted to evaluate the ecological implications of its establishment in temperate marine ecosystems.</p>

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Basin-Scale Swarm of the Sea Butterfly Cavolinia uncinata (Gastropoda: Pteropoda) in the Korea Strait: Linkage to the Tsushima Warm Current

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月17日

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  • Hyun Jun Yang,
  • Yun Hee Kim,
  • Hye Jin Seo,
  • Seunghyun Son,
  • Se Hyeon Jang

摘要

The sea butterfly Cavolinia uncinata is a holoplanktonic pteropod mollusk inhabiting subtropical to tropical warm-water regions. It is widely used as a biological indicator of ocean acidification due to its aragonite shell. Here, we report a swarm of C. uncinata in the Korea Strait, observed during a field survey in May 2025, and describe its characteristics. The maximum population density was recorded at 11.2 ind. m−3 at an offshore station (400-13), with an average of 3.1 ind. m−3 across 10 of 15 surveyed stations. The swarm extended at least 250 km along the northeast–southwest survey transect, primarily distributed within the main stream of the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC). Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that abundance of C. uncinata was strongly associated with offshore TWC stations characterized by warm, saline waters with low chlorophyll concentrations, characteristics consistent with those of waters advected along the Kuroshio–TWC pathway. Morphological and morphometric analyses, confirming a mean shell length of 8.5 mm and mean shell width of 6.7 mm, together with COI- and 28S rDNA-based phylogenies, confirmed the identity of the species as C. uncinata and placed the Korean specimens in the Pacific lineage. Taken together, these findings suggest that the widespread occurrence of a subtropical/tropical calcifier at latitudes up to 34° N represents an incipient poleward extension of range under oceanic warming, with potential consequences for carbonate export and regional food-web structure. Continued, seasonally resolved surveys and genetic assays are warranted to evaluate the ecological implications of its establishment in temperate marine ecosystems.