Thalassomonas ganghwensis sp nov., isolated from tidal flat sediment

A Gram-negative, aerobic, halophilic bacterium, designated strain JC204 1(T), was isolated from a sediment sample of getbol, the Korean tidal flat. Results of 16S rDNA sequence analyses indicated a moderate relationship to Thalassomonas viridans within the gamma-Proteobacteria (94.9% similarity). Depending on the tree-making algorithm used, the isolate either formed a monophyletic clade with T viridans or was recovered as a sister group of a class containing the genera Thalassomonas and Colwellia. Phenotypic features of the getbol isolate were similar to those of T viridans, but several physiological and chemotaxonomic properties, including nitrate reduction, amylase, lecithinase, Tweenase and utilization of 13 carbon sources, distinguished strain JC2041(T) from T viridans. The polyphasic data presented in this study indicate that the isolate should be classified as a novel species in the genus Thalassomonas. The name Thalassomonas ganghwensis sp. nov. is therefore proposed for the getbol isolate; the type strain is JC2041T (=IMSNU 14005(T)=KCTC 12041(T) = DSIVI 15355(T)).