sp. nov., a novel bacterial species associated with the gills of the fiddler crab (Brachyura, Ocypodidae) from Red Sea mangroves.

Two bacteria, UG2_1 and UG2_2, were isolated from the gill tissues of the mangrove fiddler crab collected on the east coast of the Red Sea (Thuwal, Saudi Arabia). The cells are Gram-negative, rod-shaped, orange-pigmented, motile by gliding with no flagella, strictly aerobic, and grow at 20-37 °C (optimum, 28-35 °C), at pH 5.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 6.0-7.0), and with 1-11 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2-4 %). They were positive for oxidase and catalase activity. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that isolates UG2_1 and UG2_2 belong to the genus , showing the highest similarity to HN-E26 (99.4 %). Phylogenomic analysis based on the whole genomes, independently using 49 and 120 concatenated genes, showed that strains UG2_1 and UG2_2 formed a monophyletic lineage in a different cluster from other type strain species within the genus . The genome sizes were 3.08 and 3.07 Mbp for UG2_1 and UG2_2, respectively, with a G+C content of 33.8 mol% for both strains. Values of average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization between the strains and closely related species were 91.0 and 43.5 %, respectively. Chemotaxonomic analysis indicated that both strains had iso-C and iso-C G as dominant fatty acids, and the primary respiratory quinone was identified as MK-6. The major polar lipids comprised phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified glycolipid, one unidentified phospholipid, two unidentified aminolipids, and four unidentified lipids. Based on phylogenetic, phylogenomic, genome relatedness, phenotypic, and chemotaxonomical data, the two isolates represent a novel species within the genus , with the proposed name sp. nov., and the type strain UG2_1 (=KCTC 102158=DSM 117025).