Colwellia arctica sp. nov., isolated from Arctic marine sediment.

Strain 435(T), a catalase- and oxidase-positive, beige-pigmented, facultatively anaerobic and Gram-stain-negative marine bacterium, was isolated from marine sediment collected in the Arctic (8°21'629''E 72°8'827''N). The cells of the type strain are short- to curve-rods and able to grow at 4-25 °C, pH 6.0-9.0 and in the presence of 0.5-6.0 % (w/v) NaCl. It can reduce nitrate to nitrite. The predominant isoprenoid quinone was identified as Q-8 and the polar lipids are comprised of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. The DNA G+C content is 38.7 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain 435(T) belongs to the genus Colwellia. Strain 435(T) was found to exhibit 92.1-95.6 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with other species of the genus Colwellia. The differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness indicated that strain 435(T) can be considered to represent a novel species, Colwellia arctica sp. nov., of the genus Colwellia. The type strain is 435(T) (=CICC 10860(T) = ATCC BAA-2609(T)).