Planococcus maritimus sp. nov., isolated from sea water of a tidal flat in Korea.

Two Gram-positive, motile cocci, strains TF-9(T) and TF-16, were isolated from sea water of a tidal flat in Korea. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA sequences showed that the strains fall within the radiation of the cluster comprising Planococcus citreus and Planococcus kocurii, and this cluster joined the clade comprising Planomicrobium species and Planococcus alkanoclasticus and Planococcus psychrophilus with a high bootstrap resampling value. Strains TF-9(T) and TF-16 contained MK-8, MK-7 and MK-6 as the predominant menaquinones. The major fatty acid was anteiso-C(15 : 0). The DNA G+C contents of strains TF-9(T) and TF-16 were respectively 48 and 49 mol%. The level of 16S rDNA identity between strains TF-9(T) and TF-16 was 98.9 %. Strain TF-9(T) and TF-16 respectively exhibited levels of 16S rDNA identity of 97.2-98.4 and 96.9-99.5 % to the type strains of Planococcus kocurii, Planococcus citreus and Planococcus antarcticus. The mean level of DNA-DNA relatedness between strains TF-9(T) and TF-16 was 36.7 %. Strains TF-9(T) and TF-16 respectively exhibited levels of DNA-DNA relatedness of 7.1-43.4 and 3.5-80.9 % to Planococcus citreus DSM 20549(T), Planococcus kocurii DSM 20747(T) and Planococcus antarcticus DSM 14505(T). On the basis of the phenotypic, phylogenetic and genomic data, strain TF-9(T) (=KCCM 41587(T)=JCM 11543(T)) should be placed as a novel species of the genus Planococcus, for which the name Planococcus maritimus sp. nov. is proposed, and strain TF-16 should be classified as a member of Planococcus citreus.