The genus Opephora currently contains 37 species and 27 infraspecific taxa. However, the existing literature reveals a wide morphological diversity and the need to establish defining characters to circumscribe the genus as a cohesive and, perhaps, monophyletic group. The type material of Opephora pacifica , the generitype, is analysed. We emend the description of both the species and the genus, the latter also based on published light and scanning electron microscopy observations of closely related species. After review of the available literature, we determined that currently only two species can be ascribed with certainty to the genus Opephora : O. pacifica and O. marina . Based on available literature, it is highly likely that O. fragilarioides also belongs to this genus. We present a table with all known species and infraspecific taxa and make comments regarding their recent transfer to other genera, their current accepted nomenclature, and the genus to which they should probably be ascribed pending the collection of further information.

中文翻译：

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太平洋石楠（Pephophora pacifica）类型材料的分​​析和石楠属（Bacillariophyta）的校正

Opephora属目前包含37种和27种亚种。然而，现有文献揭示了广泛的形态学多样性，并且需要建立明确的特征来将属限定为一个有凝聚力的，也许是单系的群体。分析了Opephora pacifica的类型材料，即基因型。我们修改了物种和属的描述，后者也基于已发表的对密切相关物种的光和扫描电子显微镜观察。查阅现有文献后，我们确定目前可以确定地将Opephora属归为两个物种：O。pacifica和O. marina。根据现有的文献，脆弱的O. fragilarioides也很可能也属于该属。