Description of Algoriphagus aquimarinus sp. nov., Algoriphagus chordae sp. nov. and Algoriphagus winogradskyi sp. nov., from sea water and algae, transfer of Hongiella halophila Yi and Chun 2004 to the genus Algoriphagus as Algoriphagus halophilus comb. nov. and emended descriptions of the genera Algoriphagus Bowman et al. 2003 and Hongiella Yi and Chun 2004.

Four marine heterotrophic, aerobic, pink-pigmented and non-motile bacterial strains were isolated from sea water and algae collected in the Sea of Japan. In a polyphasic taxonomic study, 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that the strains were phylogenetically highly related to Algoriphagus ratkowskyi LMG 21435T, a member of the phylum Bacteroidetes. Further phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genomic analyses revealed that the strains represent three novel species of the genus Algoriphagus, for which the following names are proposed: Algoriphagus aquimarinus sp. nov., Algoriphagus chordae sp. nov. and Algoriphagus winogradskyi sp. nov., with type strains KMM 3958T (= LMG 21971T = CCUG 47101T), KMM 3957T (= LMG 21970T = CCUG 47095T) and KMM 3956T (= LMG 21969T = CCUG 47094T), respectively. The species Hongiella halophila Yi and Chun 2004 is transferred to the genus Algoriphagus as Algoriphagus halophilus comb. nov. because of its close phylogenetic relatedness to Algoriphagus species and analogous phenotypic and chemotaxonomic properties. The above-mentioned novel species descriptions and species reclassification justify emended descriptions of the genera Algoriphagus and Hongiella.