Role of mesophilic fungal biomass and diversity in the pond soil for the productivity of freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii

The study was carried out to screen the mesophilic fungal population in the pond soil of Macrobrachium rosenbergii culture in India. Soil samples were collected from April to September in two independent ponds (A and B) and fungal diversity was identified and enumerated throughout by serial dilution and colonies were subcultured using Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) mycological methods. Physicochemical parameters were determined during the culture period and prawn productivity was measured. Twelve species of fungus were studied in the ponds and six isolates were common to ponds A and B. Nevertheless, the array of fungal species was higher in pond B whereas the number of colonies forming units was higher in pond A. The genus Aspergillus was dominant but other filamentous and yeast fungal species were also found in both ponds. Mesophilic fungal populations were most highly correlated with temperature, followed by dissolved oxygen concentration in the freshwater. Taken together, our data support that a high density of a few fungi species could be more significant for biotransformation and prawn productivity than fungal diversity itself. Thus, the effective knowledge and management of the fungal community in the pond soil could improve the productivity of M. rosenbergii culture. •The mesophilic fungal population in the pond soil was determined.•Fungal diversity was identified and enumerated via. Microbiological methods.•Twelve species of fungus were identified in the prawn culture ponds A, and B.