Coprinopsis laanii fruiting on mammal carcasses in an underground mine.

Fungi are important decomposers of organic material, including animal waste. Ammonia and postputrefaction fungi grow in soil enriched in ammonium and nitrogen from carcasses. In 2014, we observed mushrooms fruiting on the flesh of a dead muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) in an abandoned underground copper mine in southeastern New Brunswick, Canada. We placed an adult beaver (Castor canadensis) carcass near the muskrat to facilitate fungal colonization and fruiting. The beaver carcass was colonized by a variety of molds, especially Acaulium caviariforme. We observed mushrooms of an unidentified copriniid on the flesh 6 years and 9 months after carcass placement. Using morphological and molecular (nuclear internal transcribed spacer [nrITS]) data, we identified the mushrooms as Coprinopsis laanii, a rarely encountered species generally considered lignicolous. We discuss the role of C. laanii, and other postputrefaction fungi, in cave environments.

Occurrence and morphological comparisons of Campula oblonga (Digenea: Campulidae), including a report from an atypical host, the thresher shark, Alopias vulpinus.

New host records for Campula oblonga Cobbold, 1858 from the common dolphin, Delphinus delphis L., and from the thresher shark, Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre), are reported herein. Campulids have not been reported previously from a host that was not a marine mammal. The excellent condition and small size of the gravid specimen and the diet and natural history of the thresher shark lead us to conclude that the digene was acquired from the consumption of infected fish. Specimens of C. oblonga from these 2 hosts and from harbor porpoises, Phocoena phocoena (L.), and from Dall's porpoises, Phocoenoides dalli (True), are compared, and a wide variation in ranges and values for characters is noted. The synonymy of Campula folium Ozaki, 1935 with C. oblonga is further supported by the apparent effect of the host on the size of the trematodes. Due to the degree of variation in measurements and the numerous factors that may impact these values, we recommend the use of qualitative morphologic characters for the identification of C. oblonga.

Pauciconfibula subsolana n. sp. (Monogenea: Microcotylidae) from Morone americana (Perciformes: Percichthyidae) collected in fresh water in New Brunswick, Canada.

Pauciconfibula subsolana n. sp. (Monogenea: Microcotylidae) is proposed for parasites found on the inner surface of the operculum of Morone americana collected in the freshwater reaches of the Saint John River, near Mactaquac, New Brunswick. Pauciconfibula subsolana is differentiated from other species in the genus by the 2 posterolateral clamp sclerites, each of which is composed of 2 distinct sections, and by the absence of appendages on the eggs. An amended generic diagnosis is provided for Pauciconfibula. Pseudoaspinatrium Mamaev, 1986, is considered a junior synonym of Pauciconfibula Dillon and Hargis, 1965, and the species previously assigned to Pseudoaspinatrium are transferred to Pauciconfibula as Pauciconfibula euzeti (Ktari, 1971) n. comb., Pauciconfibula gallieni (Euzet and Ktari, 1971) n. comb., and Pauciconfibula pogoniae (MacCallum, 1913) n. comb.