308 Marine Microbiology 



periments with marine fungi should also be made in order to learn 

 the activity of different species involved in decay of wooden 

 buildings in the sea. 



Finally we will mention those organic substrates that have 

 been rarely examined for fungal attack: bark and cones of coni- 

 fers. This material, however, is normally inhabited by fungi after 

 a longer period of submergence in the sea (32), but it is not 

 clear whether these fungi live on suberin, lignin, and tannin of 

 bark and cones or predominantly on less lignified cellulose fibers 

 embedded in these materials. In all cases microscopic sections 

 of such substrates showed hyphae growing in soft-rot— like tun- 

 nels within these fibers. 



Besides the above listed organic substances, marine fungi 

 may even attack inorganic material. As examples may be named 

 the Ascomycetes Peritrichospora Integra Linder and P. trifurcata 

 (Hohnk) Kohlm. the perithecia of which develop predominantly 

 on grains of sand, on glass and calcareous deposits of marine ani- 

 mals (22, 32), Another still undescribed Ascomycete {Ophiobolus 

 spec.) was found by the author on driftwood from the Puget 

 Sound, Washington, the fruiting bodies of which fungus were 

 formed beneath the empty calcareous tubes of Bankia. The necks 

 of these perithecia had grown through the layer of lime to the 

 surface and they protruded as tiny black pipes from the white 

 calcareous case. In sands of different origins Porter and Zebrow- 

 ski (45) detected sporangia and spores that had dev^eloped deeply 

 in fragments of molluscan shells and shells of other marine ani- 

 mals. Probably these fungi are Phycomycetes. Considering all 

 these observations, it seems to be likely that marine fungi take 

 a considerable part in dissolving inorganic substances and trans- 

 forming them into organic compounds. 



RELATIONSHIPS TO MARINE ANIMALS 



A possible relationship between wood-destroying animals 

 and soft-rot fungi was discussed recently. Bletchy (7), for in- 

 stance, pointed out that terrestrial soft-rot fungi facilitate attack 

 on wood by larvae of the common fimiiture beetle and increase 

 the rate of their development. Within the last years nutrimental 

 relationships also between marine fungi and wood-inhabiting 



