RESUMEN
Three strains, TT30T, TT37T and L3T, were isolated from tidal flat samples. Cells were Gram-stain-negative, non-motile and rod shaped. Cells of strains TT30T and TT37T were able to grow in a medium containing 1.0-15.0â% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 3.0 and 4.0â%, respectively), and cells of strain L3T was able to grow in a medium containing 1.0-10.0â% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 1.0â%). Growth of the three strains was observed at pH 6.0-10.0 and at 10-40 °C. Strains TT30T, TT37T and L3T showed the highest similarity to Microbulbifer hydrolyticus DSM 11525T (97.7â%), M. yueqingensis CGMCC 1.10658T (98.0â%) and M. elongatus DSM 6810T (97.9â%), respectively. Results of phylogenetic analyses indicated that the three isolates represented two distinct lineages within the genus Microbulbifer. The DNA G+C contents of strains TT30T, TT37T and L3T were 61.3, 60.9 and 60.2%, respectively. The average nucleotide identity and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization values among strains TT30T, TT37T and L3T and the reference strains were 84.4-87.4 and 19.6-28.9â%, respectively. Differential phenotypic properties, chemotaxonomic differences, phylogenetic distinctiveness, together with the genomic data, demonstrated that strains TT30T, TT37 T and L3T represent novel species of the genus Microbulbifer, which are named Microbulbifer zhoushanensis sp. nov. (TT30T=KCTC 92167T=MCCC 1K07276T), Microbulbifer sediminum sp. nov. (TT37T=KCTC 92168T=MCCC 1K07277T) and Microbulbifer guangxiensis sp. nov. (L3T=KCTC 92165T=MCCC 1K07278T).