Occurrence and Distribution of Zoosporic Fungi and Aquatic Hyphomycetes in Upper Egypt

Eighty species which belong to 34 fungal genera yielding 2992 colonies were recovered from surface water (zoosporic fungi) and submerged decaying leaves (aquatic hyphomycetes) samples (160 samples each) during this investigation. Of these fungi, 45 species related to 8 genera of zoosporic fungi (862 colonies) and 35 species related to 26 genera of aquatic hyphomycetes (2130 colonies). Three species of zoosporic fungi (Achlya rodriguazina, Isoachlya toruloides and Saprolegnia luxurians) in addition to fourteen species of aquatic hyphomycetes are new records for Egypt. The richest samples of aquatic fungi (both zoosporic and hyphomycetes) were those collected from water areas with low or moderate temperature and comparatively high total organic matter and dissolved oxygen. Achlya (13 species) and Saprolegnia (12 species) were the commonest zoosporic fungal genera whereas Triscelophorus (2 species), Anguillospora (2 species) and Alatospora (one species) were the most prevalent genera of aquatic Hyphomycetes. The samples collected from Assiut governorate were the richest in zoosporic fungi (23 species and 7 genera) whereas those collected from Aswan governorate were the poorest (6 species and 3 genera). The samples collected from Qena governorate were the richest in aquatic Hyphomycetes (21 species and 16 genera) whereas those collected from El-Giza governorate were the poorest (8 species and 8 genera).