Amniculicola Y. Zhang ter & K.D. Hyde 2008
Details
Details
Nomenclature
Classification
Subordinates
Synonyms
Descriptions
Anguillospora, the second largest genus of aquatic hyphomycetes, is phylogenetically diverse. The type species, A. longissima, is a member of the Pleosporales and is a now accepted as a synonym of the type species of Amniculicola, with this latter genus recommended for protection over Anguillospora (Rossman et al. 2016). Several species placed in Anguillospora belong in Leotiomycetes, including at least two in the Tricladiaceae, “A.” crassa and “A.” furtiva. The Anguillospora species in Tricladiaceae all have thalloblastic percurrent conidiogenous cells and sigmoid conidia with schizolytic secession. Specimens identified as A. crassa that have ITS sequences deposited in GenBank appear to represent several different species (Fig. 2). An authentic specimen of “A.” furtiva (GenBank AY148107, CCM F-20483, cited in Descals et al. 1998) is phylogenetically similar to one of the “A.” crassa clades (Fig. 2). However, which of the putative “A.” crassa specimens phylogenetically matches the type, collected from the United Kingdom (Ingold 1958), is not known and epitypification is needed to resolve the taxonomy of this genus.
Anguillospora specimens have often been linked to a sexual state, and some of these have been referred to Leotiomycetes genera Pezoloma (Descals et al. 1998) and Mollisia (Webster 1961). Neither of these sexual genera are accepted as Tricladiaceae (Johnston et al. 2019). Based on published descriptions, the Pezoloma and Mollisia species linked to Anguillospora have an apothecial morphology similar to that illustrated for Spirosphaera (see https://scd.landcareresearch.co.nz/Specimen/PDD_117564); also see Discussion.
Digby & Goos (1987) reported an Anguillospora asexual state grown from germinated ascospores from the type specimen of Loramyces juncicola. This was accessioned as ATCC 46458 and according to the ATCC web pages its genome was sequenced by JGI (https://www.atcc.org/products/all/46458.aspx#characteristics). Data from this genome was included in the analyses of Johnston et al. (2019) that showed Loramyces belongs in a monophyletic clade together with Mollisia (Mollisiaceae), phylogenetically distant from Tricladiaceae.
Both Zhang et al. (2009) and Shearer et al. (2009) showed that the type species of Anguillospora, A. longissima, groups with three species of Amniculicola including the type, A. lignicola, within Pleosporales, thus Anguillospora and Amniculicola are synonyms. Although more species of Anguillospora have been described, these aquatic hyphomycetous fungi tend to be morphologically convergent with most sequenced species belonging in the Leotiomycetes (Belliveau & Barlocher 2005, Baschien et al. 2006, Duarte et al. 2013). Although 18 species have been described in Anguillospora, five are known to belong in the Leotiomycetes, another in the Orbiliomycetes, and one in the Dothideales but not related to Amniculicola. Only the type species of Anguillospora, A. longissima, is monophyletic with the three species of Amniculicola. Thus, if Amniculicola is protected over Anguilllospora, only one new combination is required.
The use of Anguillospora with a new type species belonging to the Leotiomycetes will be proposed. This will conserve Anguillospora in the sense in which it has been most commonly used.
