Name: Haloferax alexandrinus Asker and Ohta 2002

Category: Species

Proposed as: sp. nov.

Etymology: al.ex.and.ri’nus. N.L. masc. adj. alexandrinus, pertaining to Alexandria, a city in Egypt, where the strain was isolated (sic)

Gender: neuter

Type strain: CIP 107620; DSM 27206; IFO 16590; JCM 10717; KCTC 12962; NBRC 16590; TM

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: AB663373 Analyse FASTA

Valid publication: Asker D, Ohta Y. Haloferax alexandrinus sp. nov., an extremely halophilic canthaxanthin-producing archaeon from a solar saltern in Alexandria (Egypt). Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2002; 52:729-738. 🇯🇵

IJSEM list: Anonymous. Notification list. Notification that new names and new combinations have appeared in volume 52, part 3 of the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2002; 52:1077-1079.

Nomenclatural status: inaccurate spelling

Taxonomic status: misspelling

Correct name: Haloferax alexandrinum corrig. Asker and Ohta 2002

Risk group: 1

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    Haloferax volcanii (Mullakhanbhai and Larsen 1975) Torreblanca et al. 1986	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    "Haloferax alicantei" Holmes et al. 1997	heterotypic synonym, not validly published
    Halobacterium volcanii Mullakhanbhai and Larsen 1975 (Approved Lists 1980)	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Haloferax alexandrinum corrig. Asker and Ohta 2002	corrected spelling of name, validly published under the ICNP
    Haloferax lucentense corrig. Gutiérrez et al. 2004	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Haloferax lucentensis Gutiérrez et al. 2004	heterotypic synonym, inaccurate spelling

• Notes:
  • ⏲ According to Quadri et al. (2024), this species is a later heterotypic synonym of Halobacterium volcanii Mullakhanbhai and Larsen 1975 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Quadri SR, Jin P, Wang K, Qiao H, Dhulappa A, Luo ZH, Wang S, Narsing Rao MP. Taxonomic Reframe of Some Species of the Genera Haloferax and Halobellus. Curr Microbiol 2024; 81:216. 🇨🇳
  • ⏲ According to Quadri et al. (2024), this species is a later heterotypic synonym of Haloferax volcanii (Mullakhanbhai and Larsen 1975) Torreblanca et al. 1986. Publication: Quadri SR, Jin P, Wang K, Qiao H, Dhulappa A, Luo ZH, Wang S, Narsing Rao MP. Taxonomic Reframe of Some Species of the Genera Haloferax and Halobellus. Curr Microbiol 2024; 81:216. 🇨🇳
  • ⏲ According to Tan et al. (2024), this species is a later heterotypic synonym of Halobacterium volcanii Mullakhanbhai and Larsen 1975 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Tan S, Zhu LR, Zhang QK, Dong XY, Hou J, Cui HL. Genome-based classification of the family Haloferacaceae and description of five novel species of Halobaculum. Extremophiles 2024; 28:22. 🇨🇳
  • ⏲ According to Tan et al. (2024), this species is a later heterotypic synonym of Haloferax volcanii (Mullakhanbhai and Larsen 1975) Torreblanca et al. 1986. Publication: Tan S, Zhu LR, Zhang QK, Dong XY, Hou J, Cui HL. Genome-based classification of the family Haloferacaceae and description of five novel species of Halobaculum. Extremophiles 2024; 28:22. 🇨🇳
  • 🏢 Synonymy of this taxon was mentioned in an IJSEM list. Publication: Oren A, Göker M. List of changes in taxonomic opinion no. 40. Notification of changes in taxonomic opinion previously published outside the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2024; 74:6482.
  • 🏢 Synonymy of this taxon was mentioned in an IJSEM list. Publication: Oren A, Göker M. List of changes in taxonomic opinion no. 41. Notification of changes in taxonomic opinion previously published outside the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2025; 75:6561.
  • 😷 The risk group for Swiss Confederation has been imported on 2024-02-01. The full classification is: risk group = 1. — The risk group for Germany has been imported on 2023-10-29. The full classification is: risk group = 1. — 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 12 times in PubMed until 2025-06-04.
  • 🧍 According to Rules 27(3) and 30, this name is not validly published, because the original publication makes reference to the deposit of the type strain in a single recognized culture collection. However, according to the Judicial Opinion 81, Haloferax alexandrinus Asker and Ohta 2002 is considered to be validly published, since deposit in a second culture collection in a different country has been documented. Publication: Euzeby JP, Tindall BJ. Status of strains that contravene Rules 27(3) and 30 of the Bacteriological Code. Request for an opinion. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2004; 54:293-301. 🇫🇷
  • 🧍 The genus name Haloferax is in the neuter gender. So, according to Rule 12c (1), Haloferax alexandrinus is an orthographically wrong name because the epithet must be in the neuter gender; i.e. alexandrinum, not alexandrinus. Publication: Judicial Commission. Judicial Opinion No. 81. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2008; 58:1755-1763.

Parent taxon: Haloferax Torreblanca et al. 1986

Assigned by: Asker D, Ohta Y. Haloferax alexandrinus sp. nov., an extremely halophilic canthaxanthin-producing archaeon from a solar saltern in Alexandria (Egypt). Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2002; 52:729-738. 🇯🇵

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Record number: 783965