Psychrobacter maritimus sp. nov. and Psychrobacter arenosus sp. nov., isolated from coastal sea ice and sediments of the Sea of Japan.

Four strains of Gram-negative, aerobic, psychrotolerant, non-motile, non-pigmented bacteria were isolated from coastal sea-ice and sediment samples. These strains displayed the general chemotaxonomic and phenotypic features of members of the genus Psychrobacter. 16S rRNA gene sequencing positioned the three isolates KMM 3646T, KMM 3643 and KMM 3645 and isolate KMM 3659T in two distinct lineages within the genus Psychrobacter, displaying less than 98.5 % sequence similarity to the type strains of other Psychrobacter species. Genomic distinctness was supported by phenotypic differences in growth temperatures, salinity range for growth and metabolic properties. Based on a combination of phenotypic and biochemical characteristics and phylogenetic position, it is proposed that the members of these two distinct lineages represent two novel species, for which the names Psychrobacter maritimus sp. nov. (type strain Pi2-20T = KMM 3646T = DSM 15387T) and Psychrobacter arenosus sp. nov. (type strain R7T = KMM 3659T = DSM 15389T) are proposed.