Nematophagous Fungi from the Maritime Antarctic

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Abstract
Eighteen taxa of terrestrial predacious fungi (nematode-trapping species and endozoic parasites of nematodes) are reported from the maritime Antarctic (15 taxa from Signy Island, South Orkney Islands, and 10 taxa from Galindez Island, Argentine Islands [Monacrosporium ellipsosporum (Preuss), (Grove), Cooke and Dickinson, M. cionopagum (Drechsler), (Subramanian), Cooke and Dickinson, M. lypsipagum (Drechsler), Cooke and Dickinson, M. psychrophilum (Drechsler), Cooke and Dickinson, Dactylaria gracilis Duddington, D. candida (Nees), Sace, (Drechsler), Dactylella phymatopaga Drechsler, D. stenobrocha Drechsler, ?Cystopage lateralis Drechsler, Harposporium anguillulae (Lohde), Karling, H. oxycoracum Drechsler, H. lilliputanum Dixon, Meria coniospora Drechsler, Acrostalagmus obovatus Drechsler, Haptoglossa heterospora Dreschler, Cephalosporium balanoides Drechsler, unidentified species a and unidentified species b. [Of the 15 identified species only M. coniospora was previously confirmed from the Antarctic.] Fifteen are positively identified to species level, 12 of which have not previously been recorded in the Antarctic. They were isolated from several locally dominant moss species and soil associated with the 2 native phanerogams. Monacrosporium ellipsosporum and M. cionopagum were the most widely distributed trapping hypomycetes while Harposporium anguillulae was the most frequently occurring endozoic fungus. All taxa were isolated from cultures maintained at 18.5.degree. C but only 5 of these were recorded in cultures kept at 7.degree. C. Eight different trapping mechanisms were recorded with adhesive knobs being the commonest structure. The relationship between fungal taxon and moss species or soil type is discussed. Although several species were recorded only in single samples M. ellipsosporum appeared associated with calcicolous mosses. M. cionopagum and H. anguillulae have comparatively wide ecological amplitudes. No nematophagous fungi were isolated from permanently saturated moss carpets or from the strongly acidic turf-forming Polytrichaceae. The possible importance of these fungi in the energy dynamics and their influence on nematode populations of Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems is considered.

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