pic (5)
Description(1):
- Zoosporic chytrid fungus that causes chytridiomycosis (a fungal infection of the skin) in amphibians
- Non-hyphal and parasitic
- Has been associated with population declines in endemic amphibian species
- Causes cutaneous mycosis (fungal infection of the skin), or chytridiomycosis, in wild and captive amphibians
- Can remain viable in the environment (especially aquatic environments) for weeks on its own, and may persist in latent infections
Habitat(1):
- Thought to have originated in Africa
- Currently found in upland montane rain forests in Australia and Panama
- Amphibians, lakes, natural forests, riparian zones, water courses
- Reported seen in 38 amphibian species in 12 families, including ranid and hylid frogs, bufonid toads, and plethodontid salamanders
- Found in a range of species and habitats (including African frogs in lowland regions in Africa) but has caused population declines of amphibians species confined to montane rain forests
- Prefers lower temperatures which may explain the high precedence of the fungus in high elevations in the tropics
Frog affected by the fungus (4)
Reproduction(1):
- Reproduces asexually by producing aquatic uniflagellated zoospores in a zoosporangium
- Produces inoperculate, smooth-walled zoosporangia (zoospore containing bodies), which are spherical to subspherical in shape
- Each zoosporangium (10µm to 40µm in diameter) produces a single discharge tube, which penetrates (and protrudes out of) the skin
- Eventually the plug that blocks the release of immature zoospores is shed and the mature zoospores are released
- Zoospores (0.7µm to 6µm in diameter) are elongate to ovoid in shape, each possesses a single posterior flagellum, rendering it motile in water
pic (2)
Interesting Facts(1):
- Parasitic fungus on amphibians
- Can survive on its own in the environment for extended periods of time
- Spores have a single posterior flagellum
