Cyanobacteria

Validly published names of Cyanobacteria are mostly ☞ validly published under International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICNafp). But because Cyanobacteria are prokaryotes, some of their names were validly published under the ☞ ICNP. These names are listed here, together with names validly published under the ICNafp that are synonyms of names validly published under the ICNP. Names that were inadvertently included in a ☞ Notification List or ☞ Validation List even though they do not qualify for being validly published under the ICNP are also listed. These names may well qualify for being validly published under the ICNafp but this may imply a distinct date of valid publication and a distinct interpretation of the nomenclatural type. Note that some of the names shown here may be ☞ illegitimate or ☞ rejected or even disputed as being validly published. See also the page on nomenclature.

One could argue that Cyanobacteria are prokaryotes and, consequently, it is an anomaly to treat them under the ICNafp. However, there are a variety of obstacles that would need to be overcome before the nomenclature of Cyanobacteria could be integrated in the ICNP. First, the vast majority of the thousands of ☞ validly published names of Cyanobacteria were validly published under the ICNafp. Second, the ICNP requests axenic cultures deposited in two distinct culture collections as ☞ nomenclatural types of species and subspecies names; nomenclatural types of validly published names of species or subspecies of Cyanobacteria are usually descriptions, herbarium specimens or non-axenic cultures. Third, the valid publication of new names or new combinations under the ICNP would hardly work because most Cyanobacteria are still not available as axenic cultures; alternatively, a modification of the ICNP would be required to permit non-axenic cultures to serve as nomenclatural types under certain circumstances. Fourth, given the huge number of already validly published names, moving these names from the ICNafp to the ICNP would require of a new set of ☞ Approved Lists. Fifth, the ☞ conservation of names of Cyanobacteria that made it into such lists, did not have ☞ priority but were associated with taxa that can be better characterized using modern methods would be advisable in many situations; but conservation of names is more usual under the ICNafp than under the ICNP.

The situation was solved in 2021 by accepting that names of Cyanobacteria validly published under the ICNafp are also accepted as validly published under the ICNP.

A selection of publications on nomenclature of Cyanobacteria (cited in chronological order) follows below. The symbols used are as on the nomenclature page.

1971-1980

• ✋ Stanier RY, Sistrom WR, Hansen TA, Whitton BA, Castenholz RW, Pfennig N, Gorlenko VN, Kondratieva EN, Eimhjellen KE, et al. Proposal to place the nomenclature of the cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) under the rules of the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1978; 28:335-336.
• Golubic S. Cyanobacteria (Blue-Green Algae) under the Bacteriological Code? An Ecological Objection. Taxon 1979; 28:387.

1991-2000

• ✋ Tindall BJ. Proposals to update and make changes to the Bacteriological Code. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1999; 49:1309-1312.
• 🏢 De Vos P, Trüper HG. Judicial Commission of the International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology. IXth International (IUMS) Congress of Bacteriology and Applied Microbiology. Minutes of the meetings, 14, 15 and 18 August 1999, Sydney, Australia. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2000; 50:2239-2244.

2001-2010

• ✋ Oren A. A proposal for further integration of the cyanobacteria under the Bacteriological Code. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2004; 54:1895-1902.
• Hoffmann L. Nomenclature of Cyanophyta/Cyanobacteria: roundtable on the unification of the nomenclature under the Botanical and Bacteriological Codes. Algol Stud 2005; 117:13-29.
• Oren A, Tindall BJ. Nomenclature of the cyanophyta/cyanobacteria/cyanoprokaryotes under the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes. Algol Stud 2005; 117:39-52.
• Oren A, Komárek J, Hoffmann L. Nomenclature of the Cyanophyta/Cyanobacteria/Cyanoprokaryotes - what has happened since IAC Luxembourg? Algol Stud 2009; 130:17-26.

2011-2020

• Oren A. Cyanobacterial systematics and nomenclature as featured in the International Bulletin of Bacteriological Nomenclature and Taxonomy / International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology / International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2011; 61:10-15.
• ✋ Oren A, Garrity GM. Proposal to change General Consideration 5 and Principle 2 of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2014; 64:309-310.
• Palinska KA, Surosz W. Taxonomy of cyanobacteria: a contribution to consensus approach. Hydrobiologia 2014; 740:1-11.
• Gaget V, Welker M, Rippka R, Tandeau de Marsac N. Response to: "Comments on: "A polyphasic approach leading to the revision of the genus Planktothrix (Cyanobacteria) and its type species, P. agardhii, and proposal for integrating the emended valid botanical taxa, as well as three new species, Planktothrix paucivesiculata sp. nov.(ICNP), Planktothrix tepida sp. nov.(ICNP), and Planktothrix serta sp. nov.(ICNP), as genus and species names with nomenclature standing under the ICNP," by V. Gaget, M. Welker, R. Rippka, and N. Tandeau de Marsac, Syst. Appl. Microbiol. (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.syapm.2015.02.004", by A. Oren [Syst. Appl. Microbiol. (2015), doi:10.1016/j.syapm.2015.03.002]. Syst Appl Microbiol 2015; 38:368-370.
• Oren A. Comments on: "A polyphasic approach leading to the revision of the genus Planktothrix (Cyanobacteria) and its type species, P. agardhii, and proposal for integrating the emended valid botanical taxa, as well as three new species, Planktothrix paucivesiculata sp. nov.^ICNP, Planktothrix tepida sp. nov.^ICNP, and Planktothrix serta sp. nov.^ICNP, as genus and species names with nomenclature standing under the ICNP," by V. Gaget, M. Welker, R. Rippka, and N. Tandeau de Marsac, Syst. Appl. Microbiol. (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.syapm.2015.02.004. Syst Appl Microbiol 2015; 38:159-160.
• ✋ Pinevich AV. Proposal to consistently apply the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP) to names of the oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria (cyanobacteria), including those validly published under the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN)/International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants (ICN), and proposal to change Principle 2 of the ICNP. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2015; 65:1070-1074.
• Oren A, Ventura S. The current status of cyanobacterial nomenclature under the "prokaryotic" and the "botanical" code. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 2017; 110:1257-1269.

2021-2025

• 🏢 👍 Oren A, Arahal DR, Rossello-Mora R, Sutcliffe IC, Moore ERB. Emendation of General Consideration 5 and Rules 18a, 24a and 30 of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes to resolve the status of the Cyanobacteria in the prokaryotic nomenclature. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2021; 71:4939.
• 🏢 Arahal DR, Bull CT, Busse HJ, Christensen H, Chuvochina M, Dedysh SN, Fournier PE, Konstantinidis KT, Parker CT, Rossello-Mora R, et al. Guidelines for interpreting the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes and for preparing a Request for an Opinion. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2023; 73:5782.