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Exophiala pisciphila is an endophyte fungus of the ascomycetes^[1] and occasional opportunistic pathogen of several known fish species (including the smooth channel catfish from which it was isolated^[2]) and immunocompromised humans. It belongs to a grouping of darkly pigmented fungi known as a dematiaceous fungi^[3] and exhibits characteristic darkly coloured cell walls^[1] due to melanin pigments. This species reproduces asexually^[1] by conidia and yeast-like cells. The conidia of E. pisciphila can arise upon numerous structures along its continually growing hyphae, its annellides, or even from the surface of pre-existing conidia^[1]. These microconidia species are characterized as clustering upon formation with a secretion of a mucous-like substance produced by the fungus^[1].

As determined by culture studies, a substrate preference for simple sugars produces the best fungal colonization upon media such as potato dextrose agar (PDA)^[2] or malt agar (MA)^[1] and despite the slow growth, most sugar-based media did facilitate colony development. E. pisciphila forms floccose colonies of olive-black colour with a black reverse^[1]. Close examination of structural anatomy of mycelia show role-like bundles of hyphae the extend upward and can suspend within their bundles clusters of single-celled yellow-brown conidia^[1].

E. pisciphila is an endophytic species which forms a network association that spans distance enough to form symbiosis with several root systems at once^[4]. As an endophyte, E. pisciphila associated tightly with the epidermis and cortex of the plant root in a commensal symbiosis^[5]. The high melanin concentration of the DSEs does however allow them to exploit a niche in colonizing root systems in close proximity to sources of heavy metal soil deposits^[5]. The species aids its symbiont by shunting the metals away from the plant roots^[6].

As a pathogen, E. pisciphila appears to be opportunistic in all described cases, thus far limited to several fish species^[1] and immunocompromised humans^[7]. The few confirmed cases (in addition to a current lack of any species-level identification antigen^[7]) make it a challenge to clinically confirm a case of illness as a consequence of E. pisciphila. It was, in fact, originally discovered when isolated and misidentified as a case of E. salmonis in channel catfish. Cases of Exophiala pisciphila infection in humans constitute any or several of the following symptoms^[7][3]:

• Chromoblastomycosis
• Phaeohyphomycosis
• Mycetoma

Study related to this species of fungus is not limited to the pathogenicity of E. pisciphila infection, preliminary studies have screened and isolated a number of secondary metabolites] that may have biomedical applications. Among these are: exophilic acid^[8] and exophilin A^[9], proteins which have demonstrable HIV-1 integrase inhibition and antibiotic activity, respectively. This is in addition to a pair of cytotoxic polyketides^[10] of unknown cellular function. Further research will determine the applications, if any, of these biomolecules in disease or drug discovery