Aigialus parvus S. Schatz & Kolhm., Trans. Br. Mycol. Soc. 85:704 (1986).   Fig. 45

MycoBank number: MB 103974; Index Fungorum number: IF 103974; Facesoffungi number: FoF 06528;

Ascomata 400–1000 µm high, 200–830 µm diam. (x̅ = 670 × 425 µm, n = 5) wide, subglobose in frontal view, fusiform in sagittal section, laterally compressed, immersed in a black stroma, with a longitudinal furrow at the top, ostiolate, carbonaceous to coriaceous, black, gregarious. 50–150 μm diam., depressed or slightly projecting, circular, ostiolar canal subglobose, filled with branched or forked septate periphyses, 3–4 μm diam. Peridium two-layered, outer layer 60–150 μm (x̅ = 98 µm, n = 5) thick and clypeoid near the ostiole, 15–45 μm at the sides, composed of elongate, more or less irregular cells, encrusted with melanin particles, interspersed with cells of the host, inner layer composed of smaller, hyaline cells that merge with pseudoparaphyses, the peridium extends at the base into the locule with brown strands composed of pseudoparaphyses that separate above, become hyaline and are surrounded by a gelatinous matrix. Hamathecium comprising 1–2 μm diam., trabeculate, unbranched at the base becoming branched, anastomosing above the asci, pseudoparaphyses, embedded in a gelatinous matrix. Asci 360–500 × 15–20 μm (x̅ = 455 × 16 µm, n = 20), 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, cylindrical, thick-walled, with a refractive apical plate in the ectoascus and a refractive apical ring in the endoascus. pedicellate. Ascospores 45–62 × 10–22.5 μm (x̅ = 54 × 16 µm, n = 25), 2-seriate, thick-walled, ellipsoidal to broadly fusiform, muriform, yellow-brown except for hyaline to light brown apical cells, glabrous, with 8– 10 trans-septa and 1–3 longi-septa, with a gelatinous cap around apical and subapical cells.

Culture characteristics – Ascospores germinating on 2 % sea water agar within 24 h with germ tubes produced from apical and distal ends. Colonies on malt extract sea water agar slow growing, pale brown to dark brown, reverse brown, circular, raised reaching 10 to 20 mm in diameter in 25 days at room temperature. Mycelium hyaline to brown, producing yellow brown pigments, velvety.

Material examined – India, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Thengaithittu mangroves, (11.59°N 79.5°E), on decaying wood of Rhizophora mucronata (Rhizophoraceae), 20 January 2017, B. Devadatha, AMH-10012, living culture, NFCCI-395.

GenBank numbers – ITS: MK026760, LSU: MK026761, rpb-2: MN520612, SSU: MK026763, tef1: MN520611.

Figure 45 – Aigialus parvus (AMH-10012). a Ascomata erumpent in the decaying wood of Avicennia marina. b, c Longitudinal sections of ascomata. d Section of peridium. e Hyaline filamentous pseudoparaphyses. f–l Immature and mature asci. m–u Immature and mature ascospores. n Ascospores in Indian ink showing polar caps. Scale bars: b, c, f = 100 μm, d, g–m = 50 μm, e, n–u = 10 μm.