460 MARINE FUNGI 



(1889) identified the fungi which they found in molluscan shells 

 as Ostraco blade implexa, presumably a saprolegniaceous form, and 

 Lithopytbiinn gangliiforme, a pythiaceous species. 



Evidently non-filamentous Phycomycetes are more abundant 

 among marine species than are Saprolegniaceae and Pythiaceae. 

 The work of Petersen (1905) in Denmark and the more recent 

 studies by Sparrow in Denmark and along the New England coast 

 (1934, 1936) on marine Chytridiales should be considered in 

 orienting one's knowledge of this group. 



Barghoorn and Linder (1944) and Linder (1944) gave special 

 consideration to marine fungi on wood and cordage. Nearly all 

 of the 10 imperfect species and 18 Pyrenomycetes which they 

 isolated had not been described previously. Seven of the Pyreno- 

 mycetes tolerated well the salinity of sea water and were able to 

 utilize cellulose, pectin, and starch. 



For a period of years no one seems to have devoted himself to 

 a study of marine Ascomycetes. The reports by Reed (1902) 

 from collections on the California coast and of Cotton (1907) 

 and Sutherland (1914, 1915, and 1915a) on the English coast are 

 among those of most importance. 



Knowledge of the imperfect fungi of the sea is very meager, as 

 is that of the Alyxomycetes, except for a few species in the aber- 

 rant order Labyrinthulales. The best known of these is Laby- 

 rinthula viacroystis, associated with the "wasting disease" of eel 

 grass, Zostera spp. 



In the account that follows each of these four major groups of 

 fungi will be considered to a degree consonant with available 

 knowledge and with its importance. 



MARINE PHYCOMYCETES 



One of the first chytrids to be studied is Ewychasma dicksonii, 

 parasitic upon Ectocarpus. Wright (1879) named this parasite 

 Rhizophydhmi dicksonii, a name which was subsequently changed 

 to Olpidinm dicksonii by the algologist Wille and then to Enry- 

 chasvia dicksonii by Mansmus. Information on its structure and 

 parasitism appears in the accounts by Lowenthal (1905) and 

 Dangeard (1934). Lowenthal (1905) states that at maturity the 

 thallus contains a large vacuole with a peripheral segmentation 

 of this layer. Petersen (1905) traced zoosporogenesis also and 



