Saprolegnia is an aquatic fungus under the phylum Omycota It is familiar with the name as water mould.
Habitat: i) Usually it gross on decaying organic substance as a saprophytic plant in water.
ii) It also grows on dead insects, dead animals and plants as a saprophyte.
iii) Some species of this fungus can grow on fishes, eggs and other aquatic animals as parasites
Structure: i) Their bodies are filamentous and branched. These branches are called hyphae and the plant body including hyphae is called mycelium
ii) Hyphae lack in transverse partition layer. Reproductive organs may develop from the apical part of hyphae. Male reproductive organs arc called antheridia and female reproductive organs are called archegonia
iii) Their cells arc multinucleated, granular and lack chlorophyll
Reproduction: They can reproduce by both sexual and asexual methods.
Fig: Saprolegnia
