Sphingobium paulinellae and Sphingobium algicola Lee and Jeon 2017 are two later heterotypic synonyms of Sphingobium limneticum Chen et al. 2013 and emended description of the species.

Phylogenetic analysis of the genus Sphingobium had shown that the type strains of Sphingobium paulinellae, Sphingobium algicola and Sphingobium limneticum shared a very close relationship between each other. The 16S rRNA gene sequences similarity values between each other ranged from 99.65 to 99.93 %. Whole genome sequencing was performed and genomic relatedness values between each pair of the species were 97.49-100 % (ANI) and 79.3-100 % (dDDH), respectively, all higher than the threshold values of 95-96 % ANI and 70 % dDDH suggested for species discrimination, and implicated that the type strains should belong to the same species of the genus Sphingobium. The phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characterizations performed in the original descriptions of S. paulinellae and S. algicola also supported the same conclusion. Due to priority of publication Sphingobium paulinellae and Sphingobium algicola Lee and Jeon 2017, should be taken as two later heterotypic synonyms of Sphingobium limneticum Chen et al. 2013. Correspondingly, the species description of Sphingobium limneticum was emended based on this study.