ISOLATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF AQUATIC FUNGI

ABSTRACT This research paper examined the occurrence and the variability of aquatic fungi in water samples that were taken in a specified aquatic habitat. The aim was to isolate, identify, and characterize the fungal species that exist in the sample through the use of common microbiological methods. The water sample was diluted in serial dilutions and plated on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and incubated at room temperature in a period of five days. The number of fungi was between 1.5 x 103 and 0.4 x 105 sfu/ml, which is an indication of a high concentration of fungi in the water sampled. Two types of fungi were picked and determined according to their cultural and microscopic features: Mucor mucedo and Candida sp. Mucor mucedo grew in flurry white and later black in the reverse side, whereas Candida sp. grew in creamy smooth colonies with budding yeast cells. The percentage prevalence showed that Mucor mucedo (73.6%) was the most dominant isolate, then Candida sp. (27.9%). This evidence proposes that aquatic ecosystems host a variety of fungi especially saprophytic and opportunistic species that contribute well in nutrient rich environment. The paper underlines the ecological importance of fungi in degradation of organic matter and the fact that constant monitoring of aquatic ecosystem is required to avoid the possible contamination or threats of pathogenicity.