A chytrid tentatively identified as aPhlyctochytriumsp. (isolate 71-1-E) was isolated fromBryopsis plumosacollected in the York River estuary, Virginia (salinity 18–22‰). The morphology of isolate 71-1-E is highly variable and is thought to depend, at least in part, on the substrate. The nature of the rhizoidal system, sporangial size, number and position of the discharge papillae, and the relation of the thallus to substrate were found to vary. Perfusion chamber studies indicate that the germ tube enlarges and is incorporated into the developing sporangium. During discharge pore formation, a rather electrontransparent substance was deposited at the pore site. This was followed by the accumulation of electronopaque substances, rupturing and breaking down of the sporangial wall, and finally the deliquescence of the discharge plug, leading to the formation of the discharge pore.
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