From the 16st of December 2015, the Australian Water Quality Centre will be making several name changes to common species of freshwater cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). The taxonomic name changes are detailed the table below. This represents the first round of taxonomic changes to be made, with additional taxonomic changes (covering both algae and cyanobacteria) expected to be implemented in 2016.
The adoption of these changes is consistent with other water testing laboratories in Australia and overseas and is in most instances the result of the application of gene-based molecular techniques to the study of phylogenetic relationships between related organisms. The majority of the name changes that will be reported are for species of phytoplankton that can form naturally occurring blooms with adverse effects on water quality.
Of particular note is the change in name of the potentially toxic cyanobacteria – Anabaena circinalis to Dolichospermum circinale and Aphanizomenon ovalisporum to Chrysosporum ovalisporum. While some name changes apply to a particular species (eg. Dolichospermum circinale), others only apply to nominated species of the genus. For instance, the genus Anabaena will continue to be reported because only some species of this genus have been renamed as Dolichospermum and Sphaerospermopsis.
Please note that AWQC is accredited to report potentially toxic and odour producing cyanobacteria to species level and all other cyanobacteria and algae to genus level.
If you have any concerns regarding the name changes or would like to discuss how this change will affect your WaterScope report please contact your client manager today.
Group | New name | Former Name |
|---|---|---|
FW BGA | Anathece clathrata | Aphanothece clathrata |
FW BGA | Chrysosporum bergii | Anabaena bergii var. limnetica |
FW BGA | Chrysosporum ovalisporum * | Aphanizomenon ovalisporum |
FW BGA | Cuspidothrix issatchenkoi | Aphanizomenon issatchenkoi |
FW BGA | Dolichospermum (genus level ID only for below species): Dolichospermum affine Dolichospermum flos-aquae
Dolichospermum perturbatum Dolichospermum spiroides | Anabaena (genus level ID only for below species): Anabaena affinis Anabaena flos-aquae f. flos-aquae and Anabaena spiroides var. minima Anabaena perturbata var. tumida Anabaena spiroides f. spiroides |
FW BGA | Dolichospermum circinale * | Anabaena circinalis |
FW BGA | Dolichospermum crassum | Anabaena crassa |
FW BGA | Dolichospermum planctonicum | Anabaena planctonica |
FW BGA | Dolichospermum smithii | Anabaena smithii |
FW BGA | Planktothricoides raciborskii | Planktothrix raciborskii |
FW BGA | Sphaerospermopsis aphanizomenonoides Sphaerospermopsis reniformis (genus level ID only) | Anabaena aphanizomenoides Anabaena nova (genus level ID as Anabaena) |
FW BGA – Freshwater blue-green algae (cyanobacteria)
*potentially toxic species