VIBRIO-MYTILI SP-NOV, FROM MUSSELS

Five strains isolated from mussels (harvested off the Atlantic Spanish coast in 1985 and 1986) were found to be phenotypically distinct from previously described Vibrio species. They showed 94 to 100% intragrou p relatedness as determined by DNA-DNA hybridization (S1 nuclease meth od) but were found to be only 1 to 25% related to other Vibrio species . These strains have all of the properties that define the genus Vibri o and can be clearly differentiated from other species by their positi ve responses in tests for Thornley's arginine dihydrolase, gas product ion from glucose, growth in media containing 10% NaCl, and acid produc tion from sucrose, L-arabinose, D-xylose, and D-cellobiose and their n egative responses in tests for lysine decarboxylase, the Voges-Proskau er reaction, growth without NaCl and at 40-degrees-C, hydrolysis of ge latin, casein, starch, DNA, and alginate, and acid production from D-m annose. The G+C ratio of the DNA is 45 to 46 mol%. The name Vibrio myt ili is proposed for the new species; strain 165 (= CECT 632) is the ty pe strain.