IMPLICATIONS 411 



are unknown. If a plausible reason assigned bv investigators or 

 arising from contemplation of the data is sought, nothing signifi- 

 cant comes to light. 



Again, all the known marine fungi are quite like those occurring 

 in fresh water or on land. None appears to have any structural 

 modifications of either the assimilatory or the reproductive parts 

 that can be correlated with adaptation to halophytism. On the 

 other hand, they cannot be regarded as "living fossils," nor as 

 evidence either for or against the concept that the ocean is the 

 ancestral home of the Fungi. 



Since the ocean is so stable an environment and contains so 

 many plants and animals that might serve as food, it becomes of 

 interest to speculate on the reasons for the paucity of species 

 among marine fungi. 



The role of marine fungi in the decomposition of seaweeds 

 constitutes an almost completely neglected field of inquiry. In 

 all likelihood some of them are capable of digesting agar and 

 chitin, as marine bacteria are known to do [Stanier (1941)]. Sea- 

 weeds cast up on beaches no doubt serve as food for both ter- 

 restrial and marine fungi. 



LITERATURE CITED 



Apstein, C, u Synchaetophagus balticus, ein in Synchaeta lebender Pilz," 



Wiss. Meersuntersiichimgen, Abt. Kiel, n.f., 12: 163-166, 1910. 

 Atkins, D., "On a fungus allied to the Saprolegniaceae found in the pea 



crab, Pinnotheres," /. Marine Biol. Ass. United Kingdom, 25:203-219, 



1929. 

 Barghoorn, E. S., and D. H. Linder, "Marine fungi: their taxonomy and 



biology," Farloivia, 1: 395-401, 1944. 

 Bonar, L., "An unusual Ascomycete in the shells of marine animals," Univ. 



Calif. Pub. Bot., 19: 187-194, 1936. 

 Bornet, E., and C. Flahault, "Sur quelcjues plants vivant dans le test cal- 



caire des Alollusques," Bull. soc. bot. France, 36: cxlvii-clxxvii, 1889. 

 Cotton, A. D., "Notes on marine Pvrenomycetes," Trans. Brit. My col. Soc, 



3: 92-99, 1907. 

 Dangeard, P., "Sur la presence a Roscoff d'une chytridiale parasiti des 



Ectocarpees, YEurychasnia dicksonii (Wright) Magnus," Ami. Pro- 



tistenk., 4: 69-72, 1934. 

 Daniel, G. E., "Studies on lchthy ophonus hoferi, a parasitic fungus of the 



herring, Clupea harengus. I. The parasite as it is found in the herring," 



Am. J. Hyg., 11: 262-276, 1933. 



