Marinophialophora garethjonesii gen. et sp. nov.: a new hyphomycete associated with Halocyphina from marine habitats in Thailand

Abstract

Marinophialophora garethjonesii sp. nov., representing a novel genus Marinophialophora gen. nov., associated with the basidiomycete fungus, Halocyphina on mangrove wood from Phetchaburi, Thailand, is described and illustrated. Marinophialophora morphologically resembles Phialophora and Junctospora (Herpotrichiellaceae, Chaetothyriales) in having macronematous, unbranched or branched conidiophores, globose to subglobose, solitary, acrogenous, pale to subhyaline, aseptate, conidia in chains and phialidic conidiogenous cells. Marinophialophora mainly differs from other related genera due to its conidia borne in basipetally developing branched chains and septate conidiophores. Phylogenetic analyses of a combined ITS, LSU and SSU sequence data show that Marinophialophora garethjonesii constitutes an independent lineage with high statistical support basal to the genus Exophiala within the family Herpotrichiellaceae (Chaetothyriales). The new marine taxon is described herein with illustrations and relationships inferred from DNA sequence data.