Anamorph and Teleomorph Names for Candida Species
Beware of alternate names for Candida species
Candida species may have two names that correlate to the growth state of the fungus: an anamorph name associated with asexual growth and replication (mitosis only) of the fungus and a teleomorph name associated with the sexual growth and replication. Examples of dual names are listed below. Certain identification methods (e.g., MALDI-TOF or DNA sequencing) may identify the organism only by its teleomorph name, which may not include the word Candida even though this organism is indeed a species of Candida.
The table below is intended to help laboratory workers understand which Candida yeasts have multiple names.
Alternate names for select Candida species
| Teleomorph name | Anamorph name |
|---|---|
| Wickerhamomyces anomalus | Candida pelliculosa |
| Clavispora lusitaniae | Candida lusitaniae |
| Meyerozyma guilliermondii | Candida guilliermondii |
| Kluyveromyces marxianus | Candida kefyr |
| Pichia kudriavzevii | Candida krusei |
| Pichia caribbica/Meyerozyma caribbica | Candida fermentati |
| Kodamaea ohmeri | Candida guilliermondii var membranifaciens |
| Yarrowia lipolytica | Candida lipolytica |
| Cyberlindnera fabianii | Candida fabianii |
| Debaryozyma hansenii | Candida famata |
| Pichia fermentans | Candida lambica |
| Pichia norvegensis | Candida norvegensis |
| Cyberlindnera jadinii | Candida utilis |
More information
In the new guidance document, M64, the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute will recommend using the anamorph name for common fungi, such as Candida and Aspergillus, in laboratory reports as the preferred terminology by clinicians. A note can be added to the report such as “This isolate is also identified by the teleomorph name xxx”.
References
Daniel HM, Lachance MA, Kurtzman CP. On the reclassification of species assigned to Candida and other anamorphic ascomycetous yeast genera based on phylogenetic circumscription. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 2014;106(1):67-84.
Hawksworth D. L. A new dawn for the naming of fungi: impacts of decisions made in Melbourne in July 2011 on the future publication and regulation of fungal names. MycoKeys 2011;2(2):155-62.