Name: Haloferax volcanii (Mullakhanbhai and Larsen 1975) Torreblanca et al. 1986

Category: Species

Proposed as: comb. nov.

Basonym: Halobacterium volcanii Mullakhanbhai and Larsen 1975 (Approved Lists 1980)

Etymology: vol.ca’ni.i. N.L. gen. masc. n. volcanii, of Volcani, named after Israeli microbiologist B.E. Volcani, discoverer of life in the Dead Sea

Pronunciation, gender: wol-KA-ni-i, neuter

Type strain: ATCC 29605; DS2; DSM 3757; IFO 14742; JCM 8879; NBRC 14742; NCCB 85050; NCIMB 2012; NCMB 2012; VKM B-1768

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: AB663383 Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Torreblanca M, Rodriguez-Valera F, Juez G, Ventosa A, Kamekura M, Kates M. Classification of non-alkaliphilic halobacteria based on numerical taxonomy and polar lipid composition, and description of Haloarcula gen. nov. and Haloferax gen. nov. Syst. Appl. Microbiol. 1986; 8:89-99.

IJSEM list: Anonymous. Validation list no. 22. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSB. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1986; 36:573-576.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: correct name

Risk group: 1

• Synonyms:

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

• Notes:
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the genus Haloferax Torreblanca et al. 1986. Publication: Torreblanca M, Rodriguez-Valera F, Juez G, Ventosa A, Kamekura M, Kates M. Classification of non-alkaliphilic halobacteria based on numerical taxonomy and polar lipid composition, and description of Haloarcula gen. nov. and Haloferax gen. nov. Syst. Appl. Microbiol. 1986; 8:89-99.
  • ⏰ According to Quadri et al. (2024), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of Haloferax lucentensis Gutiérrez et al. 2004. 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 an earlier heterotypic synonym of "Haloferax alicantei" Holmes et al. 1997. 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 an earlier heterotypic synonym of Haloferax alexandrinus Asker and Ohta 2002. 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 an earlier heterotypic synonym of Haloferax lucentense corrig. Gutiérrez et al. 2004. 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 an earlier heterotypic synonym of Haloferax alexandrinum corrig. Asker and Ohta 2002. 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 an earlier heterotypic synonym of Haloferax lucentensis Gutiérrez et al. 2004. 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 an earlier heterotypic synonym of "Haloferax alicantei" Holmes et al. 1997. 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 an earlier heterotypic synonym of Haloferax alexandrinus Asker and Ohta 2002. 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 an earlier heterotypic synonym of Haloferax lucentense corrig. Gutiérrez et al. 2004. 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 an earlier heterotypic synonym of Haloferax alexandrinum corrig. Asker and Ohta 2002. 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 Canada has been imported on 2024-02-27. The full classification is: risk group = 1, note = "Animal classification RG: 1 - Security sensitive biological agent: No - Terrestrial animal pathogen under Canadian Food Inspection Agency authority: No - Containment level: Containment Level 1". — 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 713 times in PubMed until 2025-06-04.
  • 🧍 In Validation List no. 22, Haloferax volcanii is erroneously proposed as a new species. Publication: Euzeby JP, Kudo T. Corrigenda to the validation lists. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2001; 51:1933-1938.

Parent taxon: Haloferax Torreblanca et al. 1986

Assigned by: Torreblanca M, Rodriguez-Valera F, Juez G, Ventosa A, Kamekura M, Kates M. Classification of non-alkaliphilic halobacteria based on numerical taxonomy and polar lipid composition, and description of Haloarcula gen. nov. and Haloferax gen. nov. Syst. Appl. Microbiol. 1986; 8:89-99.

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Record number: 776744