The occurrence of Chytridium marylandicum on Botryococcus braunii in School Bay of the Delta Marsh

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Abstract
Chytridium marylandicum Paterson is a highly specific saprophyte which grew only in the mucilage of colonies of Botryococcus braunii. During the summers of 1965–1968, Chytridium multiplied on the Botryococcus population as the alga was approaching the maximum. The year 1968 was a particularly good summer for both the alga and the fungus. The fungus maximum occurred shortly after the algal maximum and at this time 79.5% of the observed Botryococcus colonies supported fungus thalli. At this time as many as 25 Chytridium thalli were occasionally observed on a single Botryococcus colony. During the 1968 Chytridium bloom, it was observed as well that the composition of the fungus population changed with time. A marked increase in germinated zoospore cysts every 5 days suggested that the asexual development of the fungus under these apparently optimum conditions took 5 days. Botryococcus population levels showed positive correlations with conductivity and temperature. Similarly Chytridium showed positive correlations with conductivity and temperature and with increasing Botryococcus numbers. The appearance of Chytridium marylandicum, therefore, was favored by conditions optimum for Botryococcus braunii.

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