Genus

Ocostaspora

Species

apilongissima

Author

E.B.G. Jones, R.G. Johnson & S.T. Moss, 1983b. Bot. Mar., 26: 354.

Class

Sordariomycetes, Subclass Hypocreomycetidae

Order

Microascales

Family

Halosphaeriaceae

Synonymy:

Description

Type species:

Ocostaspora apilongissima E.B.G. Jones, R.G. Johnson & S.T. Moss, 1983b. Bot. Mar., 26: 354.

Sexual morph, saprobic, ascomata: 87-285 µm high, 87-270 µm wide, globose to subglobose, hyaline with short neck and upper part of centrum dark brown to black, solitary or gregarious, immersed to partly immersed in the substrate, membranous, ostiolate, papillate, and lacking periphyses. Peridium: 4-5 layers, cells thin-walled, elongate, cells 25-98 µm long and 25-86 µm wide. Asci: 46.5-54 x 10-12.3 µm, 8-spored, unitunicate, thin-walled, clavate to subcylindrical, short pedunculate, lacking apical pore and deliquescing early. Asci formed on a cushion of pseudoparenchymatous cells at the base of ascomata. Paraphyses: absent. Ascospores: 15-22 x 5-7.4 µm, ellipsoidal, 1-septate, not or slightly constricted at the septum, hyaline and appendaged. Appendages: polar appendages 10-49 µm long, awl-like up to 7.4 µm wide and tapering, 6-8 equatorial appendages awl-like 2.4-8 µm long (Description: Based on Jones et al. (1983)).

Key references:

Chinnaraj S (1993) Higher marine fungi from mangroves of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Sydowia 45: 109-115.

Jones EBG, Johnson RG, Moss ST (1983) Ocostaspora apilongissima gen. et sp. nov.: a new marine pyrenomycete from wood. Botanica Marina. 26:353-360.

Jones EBG, Suetrong S, Sakayaroj J, Bahkali AH, Abdel-Wahab MA, Boekhout T, Pang KL (2015) Classification of marine Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Blastocladiomycota and Chytridiomycota. Fungal Diversity 73: 1-72.

Nandan SN, Shinde DN, Borse BD (1993) Marine fungi from Goa Coast (India), Biol. Ind. 4: 29-34.

Raveendran K, Manimohan P (2007) Marine fungi from Kerala: A preliminary floristic and ecological study. Malabar natural history Soc., India 1-270.

Type & Location:

Other Specimens:

Substratum:

saprobic on intertidal wood, test blocks, also mangrove wood.

Habitat:

Distribution:

Australia, Canada, India, Mexico, Seychelles, Sweden, USA.

Pertinent Literature:

Comments:

NOTES: Initially collected on driftwood at Friday Harbour, USA and characterised by scanning electron microscope studies of the ascospores with its awl-like appendages reminiscent of Halosphaeria appendiculata (Jones et al. 1983). In a multigene analysis Ocostaspora apilongissima grouped in the Halosphaeriaceae with high bootstrap support forming a sister group to Kochiella crispa and Morakotiella salina distantly placed from H. appendiculata. In recent review of the Halosphariaceae it also groups with K. crispa and M. salina and sister clade to Panorbis viscosus (Jones et al. 2017). Accepted as a genus in the Halosphaeriaceae in by Jones et al. (2015). Worldwide in distribution with repeated collections at Friday Harbour, USA and also on mangrove substrates in India (Chinnaraj 1993, Nandan et al. 1993, Raveendran & Manimohan 2007).

Images