Vibrio comitans sp. nov., Vibrio rarus sp. nov. and Vibrio inusitatus sp. nov., from the gut of the abalones Haliotis discus discus, H. gigantea, H. madaka and H. rufescens.

Nine alginolytic, facultatively anaerobic, non-motile bacteria were isolated from the guts of the abalones Haliotis discus discus, H. gigantea, H. madaka and H. rufescens. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that these bacteria were closely related to Vibrio superstes G3-29(T) (98.6-99.3 % sequence similarity). DNA-DNA hybridization and phylogenetic analysis based on the gapA gene demonstrated that six strains constituted one bacterial species, two strains represented a second species and one strain represented a third species. The three novel bacterial species were different from all currently known vibrios. The names Vibrio comitans sp. nov. (type strain GHG2-1(T)=LMG 23416(T)=NBRC 102076(T); DNA G+C content 45.0-48.0 mol%), Vibrio inusitatus sp. nov. (type strain RW14(T)=LMG 23434(T)=NBRC 102082(T); DNA G+C content 43.1-43.7 mol%) and Vibrio rarus sp. nov. (type strain RW22(T)=LMG 23674(T)=NBRC 102084(T); DNA G+C content 43.8 mol%) are proposed to encompass these new taxa. Several phenotypic features were revealed that discriminate V. comitans, V. rarus and V. inusitatus from other Vibrio species.