# Aquatic Mushrooms



## Idiopathogen (Aug 27, 2008)

Hello everyone.

Are there any aquatic mushrooms available for planted tanks?

It looks like someone grew them on accident:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...s-discussions/49568-what-do-you-get-when.html

Where can we get some of these:

http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=41002

A patch of mushrooms would make an aquascape look like a magical place.

~Peter


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

The mushrooms in the APC link are not aquatic. They are growing in high humidity air. The ones in the other link may not be true aquatics, just mushrooms that got covered when the stream level went up. I think that the chances of getting mushrooms to grow underwater are mighty low.


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## Fortuna Wolf (Feb 3, 2007)

Not just mightly low, but impossible. Mushrooms are fungal reproductive structures, they're made specifically to release spores into the air. You can't, of course, release spores into the air when you're under water. Aquatic fungi simply release spores into the water without mushrooms.


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## Idiopathogen (Aug 27, 2008)

If you look at the post linked above, they are saying that they are finding spores downstream that seem to be adapted to water.

I'm about 25 miles from where those were found. Maybe I should throw some in my tank?


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## Sunstar (Sep 17, 2008)

you could try, but be cautious. Many mushrooms are extremely poisonous.


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## Felf808 (Mar 21, 2006)

I didn't think anyone would seriously be interested in growing aquatic mushrooms lol


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## essabee (Oct 11, 2006)

I take it as follows -- 'Aquatic Mushroom' = underwater fungus with visible flower parts. 

Yes aquatic fungus do exist for example the Paraniesslia aquatic fungus and also the Saprolegnia fungus that attacks fish. Then the flowering parts of these aquatic fungus do not have the remarkable colours and shapes of some of the terrestrial fungi (most terrestrial fungus too have unremarkable and tiny flowering parts). So we cannot have some eye-catching fungus flowers in our aquariums.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

There are lots of underwater fungi, but none that I have ever heard of that form mushrooms.


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## JamesT (May 1, 2010)

Psathyrella aquatica
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psathyrella_aquatica
Photos: http://species.asu.edu/2011_species08

The above is a capped, gilled species that any of us would recognize as mushroom in structure, capable of fruiting under water. This was described and observed last year. The discovery report on Psathyrella aquatica actually predates this thread at 2007 as do the photos.

Looks like the researchers are looking for more volunteers or people interested in their research:
https://www.facebook.com/people/Psathyrella-Aquatica/100000594161243

"This is a forum for a more casual discussion regarding the possibilities of hydro-mycology. It is presently "hosted" by researcher, Jonathan Frank in the Southworth Lab at SOU. Frank, Southworth and Robert Coffan, coauthors on the Mycologia 2010 paper, continue to explore Psathyrella habitat and ecology, but presently all work is volunteer (and therefore limited)."


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