Name: Fusobacterium animalis (Gharbia and Shah 1992) Kook et al. 2022

Category: Species

Proposed as: comb. nov.

Basonym: Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. animalis Gharbia and Shah 1992

Etymology: a.ni.ma’lis. L. neut. n. animal, an animal (gen. animalis); L. gen. n. animalis, of an animal (also as adjective)

Pronunciation (Latin), gender: fu-so-bak-TE-ri-um a-ni-MA-lis, neuter

Type strain: ATCC 51191; CCUG 32879; CIP 104879; DSM 19679; DSM 8253; JCM 11025; NCTC 12276

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: AB639143 Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Kook JK, Park SN, Lim YK, Cho E, Jo E, Roh H, Shin Y, Paek J, Kim HS, Kim H, et al. Correction to: Genome-Based Reclassification of Fusobacterium nucleatum Subspecies at the Species Level. Curr Microbiol 2021; 79:2. 🇰🇷

IJSEM list: Oren A, Garrity GM. Validation list no. 204. List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2022; 72:5260.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: synonym (taxonomically suspended)

Correct name: Fusobacterium nucleatum Knorr 1922 (Approved Lists 1980)

Risk group: 2

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. animalis Gharbia and Shah 1992	homotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP, distinct rank
    Fusobacterium nucleatum Knorr 1922 (Approved Lists 1980)	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Fusobacterium vincentii (Dzink et al. 1990 ex Knorr 1922) Kook et al. 2022	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. vincentii (ex Knorr 1922) Dzink et al. 1990	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP, distinct rank
    Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. fusiforme (ex Veillon and Zuber 1898) Gharbia and Shah 1992	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP, distinct rank
    "Fusobacterium fusiforme" (Veillon and Zuber 1898) Hoffman 1957	heterotypic synonym, not validly published

• Notes:
  • ⏲ According to Committee (2025), this species is a later heterotypic synonym of Fusobacterium nucleatum Knorr 1922 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Committee AH. Mitigating changes in prokaryotic nomenclature: Definitions and Workflow. Zenodo 2025; 2025:15320329.
  • ❗ Fusobacterium animalis is the correct name instead if this species is regarded as a separate species (i.e., if its nomenclatural type is not assigned to another species whose name is validly published, legitimate and not rejected and has priority) within a separate genus Fusobacterium.
  • 😷 The risk group for Germany has been imported on 2026-08-13. The full classification is: risk group = 2. — If in doubt, use the risk group given in the regulations for your country and, if these are not available, use the risk group given in the catalogue of the culture collection from which you have obtained or intend to obtain the strain.
  • 🎓 Name mentioned 14 times in PubMed until 2026-06-11.
  • 😴 This name is on the List of Recommended Names for bacteria of medical importance (LoRN) as a synonym of the name to be applied to this species. The name is on LoRN because of the recorded risk group of the species itself. This name is taxonomically suspended (and therefore not recommended for medical use for now) until no later than 2027 in favour of Fusobacterium nucleatum Knorr 1922 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Knorr M. Über die fusospirillare Symbiose, die Gattung Fusobacterium (K.B. Lehmann) und Spirillum sputigenum. Zugleich ein Beitrag zur Bakteriologie der Mundhöhle. II. Mitteilung. Die Gattung Fusobacterium. Zentralblatt für Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infektionskrankheiten und Hygiene, Abteilung I 1922; 89:4-22. Skerman VBD, McGowan V, Sneath PHA. Approved lists of bacterial names. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1980; 30:225-420.
  • 🧍 See also Munson et al. (2023). Publication: Munson E, Carella A, Carroll KC. Valid and accepted novel bacterial taxa derived from human clinical specimens and taxonomic revisions published in 2022. J Clin Microbiol 2023; 61:e0083823.

Parent taxon: Fusobacterium Knorr 1922 (Approved Lists 1980)

Assigned by: Kook JK, Park SN, Lim YK, Cho E, Jo E, Roh H, Shin Y, Paek J, Kim HS, Kim H, et al. Correction to: Genome-Based Reclassification of Fusobacterium nucleatum Subspecies at the Species Level. Curr Microbiol 2021; 79:2. 🇰🇷

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Record number: 28094