ALBERT

Description: Three strains, TT30 T, TT37 T and L3 T, were isolated from tidal flat samples. Cells were Gram-stain-negative, non-motile and rod shaped. Cells of strains TT30 T and TT37 T were able to grow in a medium containing 1.0–15.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 3.0 and 4.0 %, respectively), and cells of strain L3 T was able to grow in a medium containing 1.0–10.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 1.0 %). Growth of the three strains was observed at pH 6.0–10.0 and at 10–40 °C. Strains TT30 T , TT37 T and L3 T showed the highest similarity to Microbulbifer hydrolyticus DSM 11525 T (97.7 %), M. yueqingensis CGMCC 1.10658 T (98.0 %) and M. elongatus DSM 6810 T (97.9 %), respectively. Results of phylogenetic analyses indicated that the three isolates represented two distinct lineages within the genus Microbulbifer. The DNA G+C contents of strains TT30 T, TT37 T and L3 T were 61.3, 60.9 and 60.2%, respectively. The average nucleotide identity and in silico DNA–DNA hybridization values among strains TT30 T, TT37 T and L3 T and the reference strains were 84.4–87.4 and 19.6–28.9 %, respectively. Differential phenotypic properties, chemotaxonomic differences, phylogenetic distinctiveness, together with the genomic data, demonstrated that strains TT30 T, TT37 T and L3 T represent novel species of the genus Microbulbifer, which are named Microbulbifer zhoushanensis sp. nov. (TT30 T =KCTC 92167 T =MCCC 1K07276 T ), Microbulbifer sediminum sp. nov. (TT37 T =KCTC 92168 T =MCCC 1K07277 T ) and Microbulbifer guangxiensis sp. nov. (L3 T =KCTC 92165 T =MCCC 1K07278 T ).