Identification of intertidal fungi from mangroves in Iloilo River

Abstract

This study aims to describe, identify and classify intertidal fungi through direct examination of the collected mangrove wood samples in Iloilo River, Iloilo City, Philippines. This will provide additional information about the occurrence of fungi in estuarine environments.

One hundred samples of decayed but attached roots and stems of unidentified mangroves were collected in each of the intertidal zone of the three study sites (Study Site I: Sooc, Oton, Iloilo; Study Site II: Dulonan, Arevalo, Iloilo City; Study Site III: Diversion River, near Marina Restaurant) in Iloilo River.

In Study Site 1, The total number of species collected was 11, 4 of which belong to Phylum Ascomycota, 2 belong to Phylum Deuteromycota and 5 belong to Phylum Basidiomycota. In Study Site II, there were 10, 6 belong to Phylum Ascomycota, 3 to Phylum Deuteromycota and 1 to Phylum Basidiomycota and in Study Site III, total number of species was 14, 7 belong to Phylum Ascomycota, 4 to Phylum Deuteromycota and 3 to Phylum Basidiomycota.

The total number of species of fungi collected in the three study sites were 20 (8 ascomycetes, 7 basidiomycetes, and 5 deuteromycetes).

The frequently occurring fungi (10-29 % fiequency of occurrence) are Eutypa sp. (15.3%), followed by Periconia prolifica (13 %) and Verruculina enalia (10.3%). The remaining 17 species were collected infrequently (<10 % fiequency of occurrence).

The ascomycetes were the most dominant group of fungi collected in this study.