A discovery in Sabah’s rainforests marks a scientific first for Malaysia and honours the work of a late UMS mycologist.
HIDDEN among fallen leaves and decaying wood on the floor of Sabah’s tropical rainforest, a tiny blood-red fungus has revealed something much bigger: there is still much about Sabah’s extraordinary biodiversity that science has yet to uncover.
Researchers led by Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s (UMS) Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ITBC) have confirmed the first verified record of Cruentomycena viscidocruenta in Sabah and Malaysia, extending the known geographical range of the striking crimson fungus into northern Borneo.
The discovery, published in the international journal Biology Bulletin last month, was led by the late Assoc Prof Dr Jaya Seelan Sathiya Seelan, a mycologist at ITBC who died on Sept 17.
Two specimens collected by Dr Jaya himself, from Danum Valley and Maliau Basin conservation areas, formed the basis of the research.
Their identification was confirmed through morphological examination and molecular analysis, providing scientific evidence of the species’ presence in Malaysia for the first time.
Previously, the fungus had been documented in countries including Australia, New Zealand and Argentina.
Small and delicate, C. viscidocruenta is distinguished by its intense reddish-crimson to blood-red fruiting bodies. It grows among fallen twigs, leaf litter and decaying wood, illustrating how significant discoveries can remain hidden in the smallest corners of a rainforest.
The research team also made an intriguing observation: bright green luminescence in fungal mycelium growing on woody material associated with the specimens.
Although bioluminescence is known among several groups of fungi, the researchers said this had not previously been documented in association with Cruentomycena. Further laboratory and molecular investigations are needed to establish whether the glowing mycelium belongs to the species itself or another fungus sharing the same substrate.
A scientist’s lasting contribution
For ITBC, the discovery carries significance beyond its scientific value. It is also a reminder of the work and legacy of Dr Jaya, who served as the institute’s deputy director for research and innovation. He played a central role in the study, contributing to its conceptualisation, methodology, fieldwork, specimen curation, analysis and manuscript preparation, among other aspects.
The two specimens were collected at different times: BORH/F02357 at Maliau Basin in December 2022 and BORH/F03153 at Danum Valley in September 2023.
Both are now preserved at ITBC’s Borneensis Herbarium, where they will remain available for future research and scientific verification.
ITBC director Assoc Prof Dr Fiffy Hanisdah Saikim said the discovery was both a scientific achievement and an emotional milestone for colleagues who had worked alongside Dr Jaya.
“Dr Jaya walked these forests, collected these specimens with his own hands, brought them back to the laboratory and dedicated himself to understanding the extraordinary fungal diversity of Sabah.
“Today, the specimens he collected are contributing new knowledge to science. For those of us who worked alongside him, that makes it both a proud and deeply emotional achievement.”
She said his contribution extended beyond this single discovery, through his publications, the researchers and students he trained, and the scientific questions he inspired others to pursue.
“We lost a colleague, scientific leader, mentor and dear friend, but we did not lose what he built. His knowledge remains in his publications and specimens. His influence continues through the students and researchers he trained.”
Fiffy said ITBC would continue strengthening mycology research, expanding scientific collaborations and nurturing young researchers as part of carrying his work forward.
“The true legacy of a scientist is not only what he discovered during his lifetime, but whether his work inspires others to continue discovering after him.”
Discoveries beneath our feet
The discovery also highlights how much remains unknown about Sabah’s fungal diversity, despite decades of research and conservation efforts.
Fungi are essential to forest ecosystems, helping break down dead organic matter and recycle nutrients. Yet they remain considerably less documented and less visible than many better-known groups of organisms.
“When people think about Sabah’s biodiversity, they often imagine elephants, orang utan, proboscis monkeys, Rafflesia or our magnificent tropical forests. But biodiversity is also found in the smallest organisms hidden among fallen leaves and decaying wood,” Fiffy said.
“This tiny crimson fungus reminds us that some of Sabah’s greatest scientific discoveries may be waiting quietly beneath our feet.”
She said every new species and geographical record added to the understanding of local ecosystems, helping researchers identify ecological relationships, monitor environmental changes and make better-informed conservation decisions.
The specimens’ preservation at Borneensis is particularly important, she added. Scientific collections provide a permanent record of what existed, where it was found and when it was collected, allowing future generations to revisit discoveries and investigate new questions.
“Scientific collections are therefore not simply about preserving the past. They are an investment in the future of biodiversity science.”
For UMS and ITBC, the finding reinforces the importance of sustained investment in field exploration, taxonomy, molecular research and biodiversity collections.
Sabah’s rainforests remain a rich but incompletely documented scientific landscape.
Somewhere among their trees and leaf litter may be another fungus never recorded by science, an organism whose ecological role is still unknown or whose biological properties could one day lead to new discoveries.
But before its potential can be understood, it first has to be found.
The tiny crimson fungus is one more secret the forest has yielded. And through the work of Dr Jaya and his colleagues, that discovery will remain part of Sabah’s scientific record for generations to come.
