Fungal diversity in brackish and saline lakes in Egypt

Abstract

Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, South Valley University, Qena, EgyptWith 3 tablesEl-Sharouny, H.M., Y.A.M.H. Gherbawy & F.A. Abdel-Aziz (2009): Fungal diversity in brackishand saline lakes in Egypt. - Nova Hedwigia 89: 437 450.Abstract : Aquatic filamentous fungi were surveyed from two brackish and two saline lakes inEgypt. Ninety-seven fungi (40 ascomycetes, 55 anamorphic fungi and 2 basidiomycetes) wereidentified from 764 fungal collections recorded from 545 samples collected from Lakes Edku,Marriott, Burullus and Quaron. Of these, 70 are new records for Egypt. This study represents thefirst report of aquatic fungi from the four lakes. Fungal communities in the four lakes were markedlydifferent. Common fungi recorded at the four lakes were: Periconia prolifica (21.7%), Clavatosporabulbosa (12.8%), Cirrenalia basiminuta (12.7%), Panorbis viscosus (6%) and Ceriosporopsishalima (6%). Specious genera were: Cirrenalia (8 species), Phoma (8 species), Aniptodera(8 species), Achaetomium (6 species), Pleospora (4 species) and Zalerion (3 species). Higher fungaldiversity was recorded from the two brackish lakes than those recorded from the saline lakes. Ingeneral, there was a decrease in fungal diversity with increasing salinity. Anamorphic fungi dominatedthe mycobiota at the four lakes and this is in harmony with the published data.Key words : ascomycetes, brackish fungi, ecology, marine fungi, subtropical fungi.