Description of Gelidibacter japonicus sp. nov., isolated from the Inland Sea (Setonaikai) in Japan

A novel Gelidibacter strain, JCM 31967 T , was isolated from seawater collected from the Inland Sea (Setonaikai) in Japan. It was characterized as a Gram-negative, halophilic, oxidase-negative, catalase-positive, aerobic, nonmotile, but gliding, rod-shaped bacterium without flagella. Based on 16S rDNA gene identity, strain JCM 31967 T is closely related to Gelidibacter mesophilus (DSM 14095 T , 96.6% identity), G. gilvus (IC158 T , 96.4%), G. algens (DSM 12408 T , 96.1%), G. sediminis (S11-41 T , 94.7%), and G . salicanalis (IC162 T , 94.7%). The G + C content of strain JCM 31967 T DNA was found to be 39.1%. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) values of JCM 31967 T against G. algens DSM 12408 T and G. mesophilus DSM 14095 T were 79.1% and 80.9%, respectively. Strain JCM 31967 T phenotypically differed from the closest related Gelidibacter species in its utilization of methyl α- d -mannopyranoside, methyl α- d -glucopyranoside, and d -ribose and in its lack of utilization of l -arginine and d -arabinose. It was further differentiated based on its fatty acid composition, specifically properties of C 18:0 and C 20:2 ω6c, 9c, which were significantly different from those of G. algens , G. gilvus , G . mesophilus, G . salicanalis, and G . sediminis type strains. Overall, the results of DNA–DNA hybridization and physiological and biochemical analyses differentiated strain JCM 31967 T from a previously described species of Gelidibacter . Based on these polyphasic taxonomic findings, it was concluded that strain JCM 31967 T is a novel Gelidibacter species, for which the name Gelidibacter japonicus sp. nov. is proposed, with JCM 31967 T (= LMG 30063 T ) as the type strain.