Congo red was found to be feasible as a microscopic fluorescence indicator of hyphal growth at the single-hypha level. When 1 mu M Congo red was applied to mold of Aspergillus niger, the dye was found to a specific cell-wall component, chitin, without causing any inhibitory effect on hyphal growth. The bound Congo red emitted fluorescence at 614 nm. This binding reaction, however, proceeded more slowly than the growing speed of hypha. Consequently the fluorescence intensity was low at the apex where the surface area of the hypha was expanding rapidly. In contrast, as an apex where the growth was retarded, the fluorescence intensity became remarkably high. Therefore growing hyphae could be distinguished from non-growing hyphae by using Congo red.