save the Blue Tier
natural history: myxomycota
tasmanian acellular slime moulds
Once classified together with fungi the acellular slime moulds have now been hived off to a kingdom of their own, the Protozoa, which they share in common with the microscopic diatoms as well as the red, green and brown algaes (including kelps some of which grow to 60 m). One obvious difference between the two kingdoms is that moulds are able to move, however slow their progress (reported to be 1 mm/hour), and fungi are not.
While slime moulds are not altogether rare it does take a good eye to focus upon specimens. Both Fuligo septica and Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa are reported to be fairly common - we sight them occasionally on the Blue Tier. We have no clue on the status of the others since we have not been able to identify many at this stage. As far as we are aware there has been no exhaustive study of moulds in Australia.
 81202B substrate: rotting wood |
 Fuligo septica substrate: debris on soil |
 Fuligo septica substrate: rotting wood |
 81202A substrate: rotting wood |
 Fuligo septica substrate: pine stump |
 80925C substrate: fallen leaf |
 81217 substrate: log |
 90418 substrate: log |
 Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa substrate: rotting wood |
 Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa at higher magnification |
 Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa substrate: rotting log |
 Mucilago crustacea substrate: aerial litter |
 90926A substrate: rotting wood |
 Fuligo septica substrate: ground litter |
 F. septica close-up of previous |
 Lycogala epidendrum substrate: base of tree |
 Stemonitis sp. substrate: rotting wood |
 Stemonitis sp. same several hours later |
 Arcyria sp. substrate: rotting wood |
 Diderma cf niveum substrate: rotting wood |
 Metatrichia floriformis substrate: rotting wood |
 M. floriformis spores of previous |
 Tubifera rufofulva substrate: burnt log |
 110718 substrate: rotting log |
We have a page of sequential images of Mucilago crustacea taken over seven days.
Literature
- Lloyd, S, Where the slime mould creeps, ISBN 9780646924519
is a recent book on Tasmanian slime moulds available
from Fungimap
Web
- Disjunct Naturalists has some local information on Tasmanian slime moulds
- Discover Life has an extensive collection of slime mould images
- University of Arkansas has an useful introductory article
on slime
moulds as a .pdf file (2.5MB)
- University of Hawaii has an introductory page
on myxomycota
- The Hidden
Forest of New Zealand has many identified moulds on their site
- The Russians have provided some beautiful images of slime moulds. WARNING:
the webpage contains 33 images totalling 5.3MB.
Page URL: http://www.bluetier.org/nature/moulds.htm