Carnivorous fungus

As carnivorous carnivore or fungi are a group of fungi that catch and digest animal prey by either snares or with sticky traps. There have so far been described more than 120 carnivore species.

A particularly specialized sub-group of carnivorous fungi represent the nematophagous fungi, capture the exclusive roundworms ( nematodes).

Due to the frequent occurrence in nitrogen-poor soils, it is likely that the prey is caught, as well as with most carnivorous plants, less for the recovery of metabolic energy, but more to balance the nitrogen budget.

Fishing techniques

Sticky traps are found for example in Zoophagus insidans. Mostly caught rotifers At its consisting of hyphae Klebfäden. The fungus grows after being caught in the animal and digested it.

Snares can be found in the type tentaclum Zoophagus. For this purpose, they form hyphae existing small loops in which, for example, can get caught nematodes. Tactile stimuli, the noose, prevents escape of prey and then slowly grows into the victim a, which is then decomposed by fungal species by powerful enzymes from the inside.

When Schopftintling there is an anesthetic technique that makes the worm first with poisons unable to move, and then to settle it.