Zoophagus

Zoophagus is a genus of zygomycete fungi that preys on rotifers and nematodes. It was established in 1911 by Sommerstorff, who originally considered it to be an oomycete. It is common in a variety of freshwater habitats, such as ponds and sewage treatment plants.[2]

Zoophagus
A hypha of Zoophagus insidians runs from the bottom left corner to the top left corner. Three short traps are visible along the hypha and are centered in the image. The trap closest to the bottom left corner is on the left side of the hypha; it is out of focus because it is pointing away from the camera. The next trap is on the right side of the hypha. It is also out of focus because it points toward the camera. The trap closest to the top right corner is on the right side of the hypha and is in complete focus.
Hyphae of Zoophagus sp. displaying the lateral traps that rotifers get stuck on.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Subdivision: Zoopagomycotina
Class: Zoopagomycetes
Order: Zoopagales
Family: Zoopagaceae
Genus: Zoophagus
Sommerstorff
Type species
Zoophagus insidians
Sommerstorff[1]

Morphology

The mycelium is composed of non-septate hyphae that bear lateral adhesive pegs. Spores are sometimes septate long, fusiform merosporangia with tapered ends that are borne on lateral sporangiophores.[3][4]

A hypha of Zoophagus insidians runs from the top of the image to the bottom of the image slightly left of center. A rotifer is trapped on the right side of the hypha.
Hyphae of Zoophagus insidians collected from a moss path in an intermittent stream/drainage ditch (Coventry Township, Summit County, Ohio, USA) with a trapped rotifer.

Ecology

Zoophagus species have been reported from ponds, brooks, and fens, usually in association with algae or decaying plant matter.[2][5][6][7][8][9] Exceptions are Z. cornus, which was described from rice paddy mud, and Z. pectosporus, which was described from moss and additionally reported from leaf litter.[10][11][12] Zoophagus insidians in particular has also been reported from sewage treatment plants where it can pose a significant threat to water quality.[2][13] Zoophagus spp. prey on a variety of rotifer species.[2] Zoophagus pectosporus primarily preys on nematodes and seems to be restricted to species of Bunonema, though it is also capable of trapping rotifers.[11][14] When prey encounter one of the traps, an adhesive is released and the animal is caught. Hyphae later grow into the body and digest it.[2]

Species
  • Zoophagus insidians Sommerstorff – type species
  • Zoophagus cornus Glockling
  • Zoophagus pectosporus (Dreschler) M.W. Dick
  • Zoophagus tentaclum Karling
  • Zoophagus tylopagus Xing Y. Liu & K.Q. Zhang

References
  1. Sommerstorff, H. (1911). "Ein Tiere fangender Pilz". Österreichische Botanische Zeitschrift. 61: 361–373. doi:10.1007/bf01643971.
  2. Alexopoulos CJ.; Mims SW.; Blackwell M. (1996). Introductory Mycology (fourth ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp. 161–162.
  3. "Zoophagus". Gerald L. Benny. Retrieved 2018-12-31.
  4. Dick, M.W. (1990). "The systematic position of Zoophagus insidians". Mycological Research. 94: 347–354. doi:10.1016/s0953-7562(09)80360-2.
  5. Prowse, G.A. (1954). "'Sommerstorffie spinosa and Zoophagus insidians predacious on rotifers, and Rozellopsis inflata, the endoparasite of Zoophagus". Transactions of the British Mycological Society. 37: 134–150. doi:10.1016/s0007-1536(54)80039-8.
  6. Morikawa, C.; Saikawa, M.; Barron, G. (1993). "Fungal predators of rotifers--a comparative study of Zoophagus. Lecophagus, and Cephaliophora". Mycological Research. 97: 421–428. doi:10.1016/s0953-7562(09)80129-9.
  7. Karling, J.S. (1936). "A new predaceous fungus". Mycologia. 28: 307–320. doi:10.1080/00275514.1936.12017145.
  8. Sparrow, F.K. (1952). "Phycomycetes from the Douglas Lake region of northern Michigan". Mycologia. 44: 759–772. doi:10.1080/00275514.1952.12024235.
  9. Tanabe, Y.; O'Donnell, K.; Saikawa, M.; Sugiyama, J. (2000). "Molecular phylogeny of parasitic zygomycota (Dimargaritales, Zoopagales) based on nuclear small subunit ribosomal DNA sequences". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 16: 872–884.
  10. Glockling, S.L. (1997). "Zoophagus cornus: a new species from Japan". Mycological Research. 101: 1179–1182. doi:10.1017/S095375629700378X.
  11. Dreschler, C. (1962). "A nematode-capturing phycomycete with distally adhesive branches and proximally imbedded fusiform conidia". American Journal of Botany. 49: 1089–1095. doi:10.1002/j.1537-2197.1962.tb15051.x.
  12. Saikawa, M.; Morikawa, C. (1985). "Electron microscopy on e nematode-trapping fungus, Acaulopage pectospora". Canadian Journal of Botany. 63: 1386–1390. doi:10.1139/b85-192.
  13. Pajdak-Stos, A.; Wazny, R.; Fialkowska, E. (2016). "Can a predatory fungus (Zoophagus sp.) endanger the rotifer populations in activated sludge?". Fungal Ecology. 23: 75–78. doi:10.1016/j.funeco.2016.06.005.
  14. Saikawa, M.; Yamaguchi, K.; Morikawa, C. (1988). "Capture of rotifers by Acaulopage pectospora, and further evidence of its similarity to Zoophagus insidians". Mycologia. 80: 880–885. doi:10.1080/00275514.1988.12025743.
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