Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences of members of the family Staphylococcaceae showed the presence of para- and polyphyletic genera. This finding prompted a thorough investigation into the taxonomy of the Staphylococcaceae family by analysing their core genome phylogeny complemented with genome-based indices such as digital DNA-DNA hybridization, average nucleotide identity and average amino acid identity. The resulting data suggested the following proposals: Auricoccus indicus was reduced in taxonomic rank as a later heterotypic synonym of Abyssicoccus albus; Staphylococcus petrasii subsp. jettensis as a later heterotypic synonym of Staphylococcus petrasii subsp. petrasii; the unification of Staphylococcus aureus subsp. anaerobius and Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus as Staphylococcus aureus; the unification of Staphylococcus carnosus subsp. utilis and Staphylococcus carnosus subsp. carnosus as Staphylococcus carnosus; the unification of Staphylococcus saprophyticus subsp. bovis and Staphylococcus saprophyticus subsp. saprophyticus as Staphylococcus saprophyticus; Staphylococcus succinis subsp. casei as the novel species Staphylococcus casei; Staphylococcus schleiferi subsp. coagulans as the novel species Staphylococcus coagulans; Staphylococcus petrasii subsp. croceilyticus as the novel species Staphylococcus croceilyticus; Staphylococcus petrasii subsp. pragensis as the novel species Staphylococcus pragensis; Staphylococcus cohnii subsp. urealyticus as the novel species Staphylococcus urealyticus; the reassignment of Staphylococcus sciuri, Staphylococcus fleurettii, Staphylococcus lentus, Staphylococcus stepanovicii and Staphylococcus vitulinus to the novel genus Mammaliicoccus with Mammaliicoccus sciuri as the type species; and the formal assignment of Nosocomiicoccus as a member of the family Staphylococcaceae.
Keywords: Abyssicoccus; Mammaliicoccus; Nosocomiicoccus; Staphylococcaceae; Staphylococcus; genome-based taxonomy.