Paracoccus haeundaensis sp nov., a gram-negative, halophilic, astaxanthin-producing bacterium

An aerobic, non-motile, Gram-negative, orange-pigmented, rod-shaped, astaxanthin-producing marine bacterium was isolated from the Haeundae Coast, Korea. This strain, BC74171(T), produced carotenoids, mainly astaxanthin. All the type strains of the genus Paracoccus were compared with strain BC74171(T) using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, fatty acid patterns and physiological reaction profiles. Based on the results of these analyses, it is proposed that strain BC74171(T) represents a novel species, Paracoccus haeundaensis sp. nov. The type strain is BC74171(T) (=KCCM 10460(T)=LMG P-21903(T)).