Aestuariibacter litoralis sp. nov., isolated from a sandy sediment of the Sea of Japan.

The phenotypic and phylogenetic characteristics of an aerobic, Gram-negative, motile, non-pigmented Alteromonas-like bacterium (designated strain KMM 3894(T)), isolated from a sandy sediment sample collected offshore of the Sea of Japan, were investigated. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain KMM 3894(T) belonged to the genus Aestuariibacter and was most closely related to Aestuariibacter halophilus JC2043(T) (95.5 % sequence similarity). Fatty acid analysis showed C(16 : 1)omega7c, C(18 : 1)omega7c, and C(16 : 0) as the dominant components. Strain KMM 3894(T) could be differentiated from recognized species of the genus Aestuariibacter by its ability to grow at 4 degrees C and at 30 degrees C, the optimum temperature for growth, and its inability to utilize most carbohydrates. On the basis of the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data, strain KMM 3894(T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Aestuariibacter, for which the name Aestuariibacter litoralis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is KMM 3894(T) (=NRIC 0754(T)=JCM 15896(T)).