VOUCHER SPECIMEN: LE 221993.; COLLECTION SITES: Stream 5 (both samples), dwarf forest soil, megaherbfield soil.

DESCRIPTION: Thallus polycentric, bearing numerous zoosporangia, these connected by long or short isthmuses, occasionally septate, with rhizoids arising along their length and from the periphery of the zoosporangia. Zoosporangia sac-like, ovoid, irregular, thin-walled, colourless, inoperculate, ranging from 10 to 60 µm in diam. Dehiscence by means of one or more long, straight or curved exit tubes or prominent papillae, the tip of the tube or papilla deliquescing and the initial emerging zoospores forming a globular mass at the exit orifice. As these disperse, the planospores within the zoosporangium swarm and emerge in a stream from the exit tube. Dormant sporangia yellowish amber, light and dark brown, thick-walled, terminal or subterminal, usually spherical, about 40 µm in diam. Zoospores ovoid to elongated, 3 x 5 µm, with numerous small refractive granules present.

Campbell Island

COMMENTS: Catenophlyctis variabilis is a ubiquitous species that has been recorded from all continents. It is a typical soil saprotroph that develops on chitin and keratin substrates and is easily recovered from soil and water samples on baits such as snake skin.
Colonies of C. variabilis species appear on these substrates before other fungi and bacteria. It is probably distributed by wind along with small particles of soil. Resting sporangia are formed very quickly and easily and remain in a living state for a long time.
The species has been isolated by the first author from soils of the Kola and Taimyr Peninsulas in the Russian Arctic (Pystina & Golubeva 1995).