Zobellia alginiliquefaciens sp. nov., a novel member of the flavobacteria isolated from the epibiota of the brown alga Ericaria zosteroides (C. Agardh) Molinari & Guiry 2020

Strain LLG6346-3.1T, isolated from the thallus of the brown alga Ericaria zosteroides collected from the Mediterranean Sea near Bastia in Corsica, France, was characterised using a polyphasic method. Cells were Gram- stain-negative, strictly aerobic, non-flagellated, motile by gliding, rod-shaped and grew optimally at 30-33 & DEG;C, at pH 8-8.5 and with 4-5 % NaCl. LLG6346- 3.1T used the seaweed polysaccharide alginic acid as a sole carbon source which was vigorously liquefied. The results of phylo-genetic analyses indicated that the bacterium is affiliated to the genus Zobellia (family Flavobacteriaceae, class Flavobacteriia). LLG6346-3.1T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 98.6 and 98.3 % to the type strains of Zobellia russellii and Zobellia roscoffensis, respectively, and of 97.4-98.5 % to members of other species of the genus Zobellia. The DNA G+C content of LLG6346-3.1T was determined to be 38.3 mol%. Digital DNA-DNA hybridisation predictions by the average nucleotide identity (ANI) and genome to genome distance calculator (GGDC) methods between LLG6346- 3.1T and other members of the genus Zobellia showed values of 76-88 % and below 37 %, respectively. The results of phenotypic, phylogenetic and genomic analyses indicate that LLG6346- 3.1T is distinct from species of the genus Zobellia with validly published names and that it represents a novel species of the genus Zobellia, for which the name Zobellia alginiliquefaciens sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LLG6346-3.1T (= RCC7657T = LMG 32918T).

Automated summary

Strain LLG6346-3.1T, isolated from the brown alga Ericaria zosteroides collected from the Mediterranean Sea, was characterized as a novel species of the genus Zobellia. LLG6346-3.1T exhibited distinct phenotypic, phylogenetic, and genomic characteristics from other Zobellia species. The name Zobellia alginiliquefaciens sp. nov. is proposed for this bacterium.