Distribution of fungi on wood in the Totong River, Brunei

Abstract

Five sites along the Tutong river and its tributary, the Sungai Kelakas, were sampled for fungi on decaying wood. Sixty-six taxa were found including two new genera and two new species. Nearly half of these (48%) are new records for Brunei. Although common taxa were generally not unique to any particular site, species distributions were correlated to the salinity gradient. These findings are consistent with previous studies showing that some marine fungi are tolerant to less saline conditions and that some freshwater species are tolerant to more saline conditions. Some species could be potentially classified as brackish water species. The ratio of ascomycetes to anamorphic fungi was higher in marine than freshwater sites. A checklist of fungi found in aquatic habitats in Brunei is included.