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Morphological and phylogenetic analyses reveal two new species of Tubeufia (Tubeufiales, Tubeufiaceae) from freshwater habitats in China

Summary

Scientists in China discovered two new species of fungi (Tubeufia yanuodaensis and T. yinggelingensis) living in freshwater streams on decaying wood. By examining the fungi under microscopes and analyzing their genetic material, the researchers were able to distinguish these new species from previously known ones. This discovery adds to our understanding of fungi diversity in freshwater ecosystems and brings the total number of known Tubeufia species to 88.

Background

Tubeufia is a genus of helicosporous hyphomycetes distinguished by high morphological variation in its asexual morphs. Currently, the genus comprises 86 species with diverse distributions across tropical and temperate regions, primarily saprobic on decaying wood in freshwater and terrestrial habitats.

Objective

To identify and describe two new fungal species of Tubeufia isolated from submerged decaying wood in Hainan Province, southern China, using morphological characteristics and multigene phylogenetic analyses based on ITS, LSU, tef1-α, and rpb2 sequences.

Results

Two distinct new species, Tubeufia yanuodaensis and T. yinggelingensis, were identified and described. The phylogenetic analyses with 88 strains demonstrated these species formed distinct clades supported by 100% ML and 1.00 BYPP support. Morphological characteristics including conidial size and structure differentiated the two species.

Conclusion

Two novel Tubeufia species are now formally described and added to the genus, bringing the total to 88 species. This study demonstrates the importance of combining molecular phylogenetics with morphological analysis for accurate taxonomic delimitation of helicosporous fungi in freshwater habitats.
  • Published in:MycoKeys,
  • Study Type:Taxonomic Study,
  • Source: 10.3897/mycokeys.121.158724, PMID: 40895209
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