How to produce correct epithet of a species named in the honor of a person? I want to name a new diatom species in the honor of Prof. Vodyanitskiy. What will be the species epithet: "vodyanitskiya", or other? Are there any rules that regulates how the end of such epithets is changed?

The correct form of the specific epithet **depends on the generic name** (masculine, feminine, and neuter generic names will each require the corresponding, grammatically correct, form of the specific epithet), **and on the type of the specific epithet** itself:

_Thalassiosira bradburyi_ is named after J.P. Bradbury. _Thalassiosira hendeyi_ is named after N. I. Hendey. The letter "i" is added to the person's last name in both cases. Hence, _Thalassiosira_ species named after V. A. Vodyanitskiy should be, in my opinion, _Thalassiosira vodyanitskiyi_.