Chytridiales

The Chytridiales are an order of simple, aquatic fungi belonging to the phylum Chytridiomycota. These microscopic organisms are characterized by having zoospores, which are motile cells with a single, posterior whiplash flagellum. Most Chytridiales are found in freshwater or damp soils, where they act as parasites on algae and animals, or live as saprobes on decaying organic matter. Some species within this order are known to cause plant diseases. Notably, one species, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, is responsible for a devastating disease in frogs and amphibians called chytridiomycosis. This fungal infection affects the amphibians' skin, disrupting their ability to exchange gases and leading to death.123