SOME INTERESTING FRESHWATER ASCOMYCETES (ASCOMYCOTA) FROM
BRAZIL
Silvana Santos da Silva, Flavia Rodrigues Barbosa, Patrícia Oliveira Fiuza & Luís Fernando
Pascholati Gusmão
Departamento de Ciências Biológicas-UEFS, Laboratório de Micologia, Feira de Santana,
BA, Brasil. [email protected]
Fungi belonging to Ascomycetes have important functions in the aquatic environments.
About 567 species have been reported from freshwater thus far. Seventy percent of the known
freshwater ascomycetes have been reported from freshwater only once. Studies regarding
these fungi are intensive in temperate regions but scarce in Brazil. Aiming to expand the
studies on freshwater Ascomycetes, submerged woody debris was collected from a stream in
the Serra da Jibóia, Bahia State, from July 2007 to December 2008. Samples were placed in
plastic bags and returned to the laboratory. The plant material was then incubated at 25º C in
moist Petri dish chambers stored within 50 L plastic boxes with 200 ml sterile water plus 2 ml
glycerol. Samples were examined over four weeks for the presence of microfungal
reproductive structures. These structures were removed to a glass slide where they were
crushed and mounted in polyvinyl alcohol-glycerol. Measurements were made of fixed
material. Thus far we have found eight freshwater ascomycetes: Aniptodera inflatiascigera
K.M. Tsui, K.D. Hyde & Hodgkiss, Annulatascus apiculatus F.R. Barbosa & Gusmão,
Anthostomella aquatica K.D. Hyde & Goh, Jahnula aquatica (Plöttn. & Kirschst.) Kirschst.,
Lasiosphaeria sp., Massarina sp., Nectria sp. and Ophioceras sp. Except A. apiculatus, these
taxa are being reported for a first time for freshwater environment in Brazil. (CNPq)
Key word: Aquatic fungi, Streams, Biodiversity.