The status of the genus name Halovibrio Fendrich 1989 and the identity of the strains Pseudomonas halophila DSM 3050 and Halomonas variabilis DSM 3051. Request for an opinion.

During the course of studies on halophilic, Gram-negative bacteria, a comparison of two strains of halophilic bacteria, Pseudomonas halophila DSM 3050 and Halomonas variabilis DSM 3051 (formerly Halovibrio variabilis) demonstrated that the characteristics of strain DSM 3050 corresponded to the original description of Halovibrio variabilis and those of DSM 3051 to P. halophila, both of which had been isolated from the Great Salt Lake in Utah [Fendrich, C. (1988). Syst Appl Microbiol 11, 36-43]. It was concluded that these two strains did not correspond with their original descriptions, e.g. the original description of Halovibrio variabilis matched that of Pseudomonas halophila DSM 3050 and the original description of Pseudomonas halophila matched that of Halovibrio variabilis DSM 3051, which was subsequently transferred to the genus Halomonas as Halomonas variabilis DSM 3051. These findings raise the question of whether the genus name Halovibrio, with the type species Halovibrio variabilis, should be associated with type strain DSM 3050 and recognition of strain DSM 3051 as the type strain of Pseudomonas halophila.