The current status of Saprolegniales in Iran: calling mycologists for better taxonomic and ecological resolutions

Saprolegniales have been studying for nearly 150 years and have been recognized mainly as freshwater animal pathogens. Similar to the global trend, studies on Saprolegniales in Iran have mainly focused on their pathological aspects. Therefore, this review discusses the state of the art of Saprolegniales studies in Iran and pinpoints present deficiencies. More than 80% of Iranian studies have examined the impact of various plant extracts and other plant compounds on Saprolegnia parasitica, responsible for causing deadly diseases on fish species. On the other hand, recent taxonomic and ecological reports on Saprolegniales have addressed this topic in a more abstract manner. Finally, we give recommendations to how to more systematically study Saprolegniales in Iran. This review calls mycologists in Iran and elsewhere to study Saprolegniales more seriously and in a more coordinated manner.