Flavimarina pacifica gen. nov., sp. nov., a new marine bacterium of the family Flavobacteriaceae, and emended descriptions of the genus Leeuwenhoekiella, Leeuwenhoekiella aequorea and Leeuwenhoekiella marinoflava.

A facultatively anaerobic, Gram-stain negative, rod-shaped and yellow pigmented bacterium, designated strain IDSW-73(T), was isolated from a seawater sample and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the novel strain formed a distinct phyletic line in the family Flavobacteriaceae and is most closely related to the members of the genus Leeuwenhoekiella, with 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 91.4-92.6 %. Strain IDSW-73(T) was found to be able to grow with 0-12 % NaCl and at 4-33 °C; and was able to hydrolyse gelatin, starch and Tweens 20, 40 and 80. The DNA G+C content was determined to be 42.2 mol%. The predominant cellular fatty acids were identified as branched-chain saturated and unsaturated and straight-chain unsaturated fatty acids such as iso-C15:0, iso-C15:1, iso-C17:1 ω9c, C15:1 ω6c, iso-C15:0 3-OH, iso-C17:0 3-OH and summed feature 3 (as defined by MIDI), comprising iso-C15:0 2-OH and/or C16:1 ω7c. The polar lipids found were phosphatidylethanolamine, two unknown aminolipids and one unknown lipid. The major respiratory quinone was identified as MK-6. The significant molecular distinctiveness between the novel isolate and its nearest neighbours were strongly supported by notable differences in physiological and biochemical tests. Therefore, strain IDSW-73(T) is considered to represent a novel genus and species within the family Flavobacteriaceae, for which the name Flavimarina pacifica gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is IDSW-73(T) (=KCTC 32466(T) = KMM 6759(T)). Emended descriptions of the recognized species of the genus Leeuwenhoekiella are also proposed.