(1950) Mortierella species are soil fungi belonging to the order Mortierellales within the subphylum Mortierellomycotina (phylum: Mucoromycota).

[5][6] Penicillium, Trichoderma, Mucor and Mortierella species belong to an ecology group which are the first organisms growing on roots.

[7] (Distribution map on EOL) Mortierella fungi are typically coenocytic, but compared with the genus Mucor (Mucoromycotina, Mucorales), they have a stronger tendency towards septum formation.

Compared with Mucor-like fungi, the mitosporangia are typically smaller, contain fewer spores and lack a columella (Fig.

Mortierella forms zygospores that are the developmental consequence of plasmogamy between gametangia belonging to complementary mating types.

Some Mortierella species are homothallic (M. epigama, M. parvispora, M. nigrescens, M. rostafinskii, M. polycephala, M.renispora), but most are heterothallic (M. elongata, M. marburgensis, M. umbelata, M. capitata, M.

[12] The species Mortierella alpina was found to be homothallic and to form zygospores with a hyphal coat.

It was re-classified as belonging to the genus Umbelopsis in part based on its fatty acid profile, in addition to classical ribosomal DNA sequencing.

Today, long-chain poly-unsaturated fatty acids are regarded as substances with beneficial potential in pharmaceutic and nutritional applications.

[13] Many species of the genus Mortierella have been found to yield exceptionally high quantities of arachidonic acid depending on the fermentation media and culture conditions.

[14] Fatty acids are normally produced in submerged culture with high carbon source supply, although this technique has drawbacks with respect to energy consumption and waste water production.

Mortierella wolfii, normally isolated from soil, rotten silage and similar substrates, causes bovine abortion, pneumonia and systemic mycosis.