HALOTOLERANT AND CHAOTOLERANT MICROFUNGI FROM LITTORAL ANCHIALINE CAVES GOLUBINKA AND MEDOVA BUZA (CROATIA)

摘要

Rock-inhabiting fungi were isolated for rock walls in Golubinka and Medova Buza littoral anchialine caves in Croatia and tested for their halotolerance. Isolates were identified as Cladosporium psychrotolerans, C. delicatulum, Mucor circinelloides, Rhizopus stolonifer, Aureobasidium pullulans var. pullulans, and Talaromyces diversus. Of them, T. diversus appears most resistant to cosmotropic (NaCl) and chaotropic (KCl) salts. It was also the most common species isolated from rock walls. Despite the negative influence of salinity on acid production, we propose that some fungal strains can be recognized as active agents in carbonate dissolution and as good competitors on rocks in saline environments. Anchialine caves can be a refugium for unique halotolerant fungi.