Five New Hypocrealean Species from Algae and Sediment in the Intertidal Zones of China

TL;DR

This paper describes five new species of Hypocrealean fungi found in marine algae and sediments in China's intertidal zones.

Contribution

The study introduces five new fungal species and provides their phylogenetic and morphological characterization.

Findings

Five new Hypocrealean fungal species were identified from marine algae and sediments in China.

The new species were characterized using morphological traits and multi-gene phylogenetic analysis.

Comparisons with related species were conducted to highlight distinguishing features.

Abstract

Hypocrealean fungi are a well-documented group of fungi, with a wide range of ecological roles that include saprobic, parasitic, and endophytic forms, capable of thriving in diverse environments, both terrestrial and marine. Members in this group are abundant and widely distributed in marine environments around the world. However, the species diversity and distribution of this fungal group in Chinese seas is rarely reported. This study introduces five new species, namely Fusarium flavoides M.M. Wang & W. Li, Gliomastix fasciculata M.M. Wang & W. Li, Marquandomyces ulvae M.M. Wang & W. Li, Stephanonectria arenicola M.M. Wang & W. Li, and Verruciconidia oligospora M.M. Wang & W. Li, based on morphological characteristics and LSU-ITS-tef1-rpb2 phylogenetics. These new species were discovered from marine algae (Ulva spinulosa) and sediments (mud and sand). A detailed comparison of these new species and their close relatives is also presented.

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