Fungi from the tidal zone of Khawr al-Zubair canal southern Iraq

الملخص EN

A survey on the filamentous microfungi inhabiting soil and mud of the tidal zone of Khawr Al-Zubair canal, Southern Iraq was conducted.

A total of 144 species belonging to 61 genera were encountered from 99 soil and mud samples collected from different distances from the water edge.

The isolates were assigned to 107 species of mitosporic fungi, 29 species of ascomycotina and 8 species of zygomycotina.

Tidal zone of Khawr Al- Zubair supported a diverse species belonging to the genera Alternaria, Aspergillus (11 species for each), Bipolaris (8 species), Chaetomium, Curvularia, Ulocladium (7 species for each), Stachybotrys (6 species) and Exserohilum (5 species).

Eight species of marine fungi were isolated viz: Camarosporium roumerguerii, Exserohilum rostratum, Leptosphaeria sp., Monodictys pelagica, Trichocladium constrictum, T.

ochrasporum, Zalerion martimum and Z.varium.

There is apparently no characteristic fungal flora for tidal zone of Khawr Al-Zubair canal except for frequent isolation of some well-known marine species.