Hortaea werneckii isolated from sea-water.

An isolate of dematiaceous hyphomycete recovered from sea-water in Tsushima, Nagasaki, Japan was studied morphologically and physiologically. The colonies of the isolate (NHL 2975) were initially moist, greenish black, gradually becoming floccose, grayish olive, and attained 60mm in diameter after 60 days of growth at 27°C on Sabouraud's dextrose agar. Microscopically, round or scale-like bud scars were observed on the surface of thick projections (rachises) on hyphae. These bud scars were usually arranged on rachises in a sympodial manner, but sometimes overlapped each other to look like annellations. Conidia were one- or two-celled, ellipsoidal, short cylindrical or guitar-shaped, and often functioned as conidiogenous cells to produce secondary conidia in a sympodial or annellidic fashion. The isolate grew well on a medium containing 25% NaCl and hydrolyzed skim milk. At 37°C, growth of the isolate was restricted. These morphological and physiological characteristics permitted identification of the isolate as Hortaea werneckii (Horta) Nishimura et Miyaji.