Halomonas anticariensis sp. nov., from Fuente de Piedra, a saline-wetland wildfowl reserve in Malaga, southern Spain.

Three Halomonas strains, FP34, FP35T and FP36, which were isolated from soil samples taken from Fuente de Piedra, a saline wetland in the province of Málaga in southern Spain, are described. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences show that the three isolates belong to the genus Halomonas in the gamma-Proteobacteria and form an independent genetic line. Phenotypically, they share the characteristics of Halomonas and differ from the most closely related species, Halomonas campisalis, in the following features: they are strictly aerobic and, because of their production of exopolysaccharides, form cream-coloured, mucoid colonies; they produce phosphatase and grow within narrow pH and temperature ranges; and they are susceptible to kanamycin and streptomycin. Their G+C content varies between 60.0 and 61.4 mol%. The name Halomonas anticariensis sp. nov. is proposed for these isolates. Strain FP35T (=LMG 22089T=CECT 5854T) is the type strain. The bacterium grows best in 7.5% (w/v) NaCl and does not require magnesium or potassium salts for growth, although they do stimulate growth somewhat when present. Its major fatty acids are 18 : 1omega7c, 16 : 0, 16 : 1omega7c, 15 : 0 iso 2-OH, 12 : 0 3-OH, 12 : 0, 10 : 0 and 19 : 0 cyclo omega8c. Its predominant respiratory lipoquinone is ubiquinone with nine isoprene units (Q-9).