List of bacterial genera named after mythological figures

Several bacterial species are named after Greek or Roman mythical figures. The rules present for species named after a famous person do not apply, although some names are changed in the female nominative case, either by changing the ending to -a or to the diminutive -ella, depending on the name.[1]

  • Acidianus and Janibacter: Janus, a god in Roman mythology with two faces.
  • Amphritea: Amphitrite ('Αμφιτρίτη), a sea-goddess and wife of Poseidon in Greek mythology and one of the 50 daughters of Nereus and Doris.
  • Breoghania: Breogán, the first mythical Celtic king of Gallaecia in Celtic mythology.
  • Chimaereicella: Chimaera (Χίμαιρα), a Greek mythological monstrous fire-breathing female creature with the fore part a lion, in the hinder a serpent, and in the middle a goat.
  • Cronobacter: Cronos (Κρόνος), in Greco-Roman mythology leader of the Titans who swallowed each of his children as soon as they were born, excluding Zeus.
  • Demetria (genus): Demeter, the Greek goddess of harvest.
  • Ekhidna (genus): Echidna (Ἔχιδνα), a slimy woman/snake sea creature in Greek mythology.
  • Eudoraea: Eudora (Εὐδώρα), one of the Hyades in Greek mythology
  • Haliea: Halie (Ἁλίη), a sea nymph, also one of the 50 daughters of Nereus and Doris.
  • Hellea: Helle (Ἕλλη), a Greek sea goddess.
  • Melitea: Melite (Μελίτη), one of the naiads, daughter of the river god Aegaeus, and one of the many loves of Zeus and his son Heracles. Her son was Hylas.
  • Neptuniibacter and Neptunomonas: Neptunius, the Roman god of the sea, equivalent of the Greek Poseidon.
  • Nereida: A Nereid, which are sea nymphs daughters of Nereus.
  • Nisaea (genus): Nicaea, a sea nymph and daughter of the river-god Sangarius and Cybele.
  • Opitutus: Ops, a Roman Earth and harvest goddess married to Saturn. Equivalent of the Greek Rhea.
  • Pandoraea: Pandora (Πανδώρα), the first woman who opened a jar, known as Pandora's box releasing evil into the world, in Greek mythology.
  • Persephonella: Persephone (also known as Kore), is the daughter of Zeus and the harvest goddess Demeter, and queen of the underworld; she was abducted by Hades the king of the underworld.
  • Proteus and Thermoproteus: Proteus (Πρωτεύς), an early sea-god able to change himself into different shapes.
  • Telluria: Tellus, a Roman goddess personifying the Earth.
  • Vampirovibrio: A vampire, mythological beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of other creatures.
  • Vulcanibacillus, Vulcanisaeta and Vulcanithermus: Vulcanus, the Roman god of fire.

See also

References

  • names after mythology entry in LPSN [Euzéby, J.P. (1997). "List of Bacterial Names with Standing in Nomenclature: a folder available on the Internet". Int J Syst Bacteriol. Microbiology Society. 47 (2): 590–2. doi:10.1099/00207713-47-2-590. ISSN 0020-7713. PMID 9103655. Retrieved 2019-02-23.]
  1. Help! Latin! How to avoid the most common mistakes while giving Latin names to newly discovered prokaryotes. Microbiología (Sociedad Española de Microbiología), 1996, 12, 473-475. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-10-07. Retrieved 2011-04-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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