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.


 * 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:    Demeter, the Greek goddess of harvest.
 * Ekhidna:    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:    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.