Part of the binary chitinolytic system. Involved in hydrolyzation of chitobiose and higher chito-oligomers (produced from cell wall chitin by endochitinases), thus contributing to the formation of germ tubes, fruit-bodies and septa during hyphenation (Probable). Hydrolyzes synthetic substrates p-nitrophenyl-beta-N-acetyl-glucosamine (pNP-beta-GlcNAc), p-nitrophenyl-beta-N-acetyl-galactosamine (pNP-beta-GalNAc) and 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indoyl-beta-D-N-glucosaminide (X-GlcNAc) (PubMed:12450128). Hydrolysis of terminal non-reducing N-acetyl-D-hexosamine residues in N-acetyl-beta-D-hexosaminides. Optimum pH is 4-5. Optimum temperature is 52 degrees Celsius. Homodimer. Highly expressed during the stationary phase and high levels remain in the autolytic stage. Significantly up-regulated expression with colloidal chitin and chito-oligomers, namely N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc), N,N'-diacetylchitobiose (GlcNAc)2 and N,N',N''-triacetylchitotriose (GlcNAc)3. Expression is unaffected by the oxidative-stress-generating agents tested including menadione, hydrogen peroxide and diamide. Normal growth rate, cellular morphology and efficiency of conidial formation when grown on easily metabolizable carbon sources YG (complex) or MM-glucose (complete) media. Grows poorly on a medium with chitobiose as a sole carbon source. Low level of beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity. This enzyme can be produced in large-scale and may be used for the enzymatic synthesis of complex type sugar chains containing GlcNAc and GalNAc as components. Belongs to the glycosyl hydrolase 20 family.