Colwellia aestuarii sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat sediment in Korea

A novel Colwellia-like bacterial strain, SMK-10^T, was isolated from a tidal flat sediment in Korea and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic analysis. Cells of strain SMK-10^T were Gram-negative, motile, greyish yellow-pigmented, curved rods. Optimal growth occurred at 25-30 °C and in the presence of 2-3% (w/v) NaCl. Strain SMK-10^T contained Q-8 as the predominant ubiquinone and C_16:1ω7c and/or iso-C_15:0 2-OH, C_17:1, C_15:1 and iso-C_16:0 as major fatty acids. The DNA G + C content was 39.3 mol%. Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain SMK-10^T belonged to the genus Colwellia. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values (94.7-96.7%) to the type strains of all other Colwellia species and various differential phenotypic properties were sufficient to distinguish strain SMK-10^T from recognized Colwellia species. On the basis of its phenotypic properties and phylogenetic distinctiveness, strain SMK-10^T (= KCTC 12480^T = DSM 17314^T) is classified as the type strain of a novel Colwellia species, for which the name Colwellia aestuarii sp. nov. is proposed.