Vertical distribution of marine fungi on Rhizophora apiculata at Morib mangrove, Selangor, Malaysia

Abstract

Studies on the vertical distribution of marine fungi in aRhizophora apiculata mangrove stand in Morib, Selangor were carried out in June 1993 and June to November 1997. Prop roots, subterranean roots and overhanging branches ofR. apiculata were collected from three intertidal levels namely upper (high water mark), middle and lower. Fifty-three species were recorded including 39 ascomycetes, 13 deuteromycetes and one basidiomycete. The most common fungi wereHalocyphina villosa (frequency occurrence 21%),Kallichroma tethys (20%),Lulworthia grandispora (18%),Leptosphaeria australiensis (16%),Julella avicenniae (15%) andMassarina ramunculicola (13%). The fungi were found to be vertically zoned, some were limited to the upper level such asPyrenographa xylographoides, Julella avicenniae andAigialus grandis or lower level such asTrichocladium achrasporum andT. alopallonellum, while only five species showed a broader distribution, being present at all levels:Leptosphaeria australiensis, Halocyphina villosa, Cryptovalsa sp.,Lulworthia grandispora andLulworthia sp. The greatest diversity of marine fungi were collected from the middle level with a Shannon Diversity Index of 5.9 while the Jaccard Similarity Index of 2.25 indicated that the upper and middle levels were the most similar in terms of species composition. Fungi with certain characteristics were also limited to particular levels, for example, carbonaceous and superficial ascomata were confined above mean tide while membranous walls and immersed ascomata were common below mean tide level.