VIBRIO HALIOTICOLI SP. NOV., A NONMOTILE ALGINOLYTIC MARINE BACTERIUMISOLATED FROM THE GUT OF THE ABALONE HALIOTIS-DISCUS HANNAI

Six alginolytic, facultatively anaerobic, non-motile marine bacteria w ere isolated from the gut of abalone Haliotis discus hannai. DNA-DNA h ybridization data showed that the six strains constituted a single gen ospecies. Phylogenetic analyses of 16S rDNA sequences indicated that t he isolates should be assigned to the genus Vibrio. The phenotypic fea tures of the isolates were closely related to Vibrio fischeri and Vibr io pelagius biovar I, but 13 traits (motility, luminescence, alginase production, lipase production, lysine decarboxylase, indole production , growth in 1 and 6% NaCl and assimilation of five carbon compounds) d istinguished these strains from V. fischeri, and 17 traits (motility, growth at 37 degrees C, lipase production, indole production, growth i n 1 and 6% NaCl, acid from sucrose and D-sorbitol, and assimilation of nine carbon compounds) distinguished these strains from V. pelagius. The G+C content of the isolates was 41.6-43.1 mol%. According to DNA-D NA hybridization data and 16S rDNA phylogenetic analyses, it was concl uded that the six isolates constitute a new species different from any other Vibrio species. The name Vibrio halioticoli sp. nov. (type stra in IAM 14596(T)) is proposed. A set of phenotypic features which enabl es differentiation of the new species from other species of the Vibrio naceae family is described.