Reclassification of Facklamia ignava, Facklamia sourekii and Facklamia tabacinasalis as Falseniella ignava gen. nov., comb. nov., Hutsoniella sourekii gen. nov., comb. nov., and Ruoffia tabacinasalis gen. nov., comb. nov., and description of Ruoffia halotolerans sp. nov., isolated from hypersaline Inland Sea of Qatar.

A Gram-stain-positive, non-pigmented, coccus-shaped, facultatively anaerobic and α-hemolytic bacterium designated as INB8T was isolated from a hypersaline marine water sample collected at the Inland Sea of Qatar. The isolate was able to grow at 25-40 °C (optimum, 30 °C), at pH 5-11 and with 2-8% NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain INB8T was placed within the family Aerococcaceae with the highest sequence similarity to Facklamia tabacinasalis CCUG 30090T (99.5%), followed by Facklamia hominis CCUG 36813T (93.9%), Facklamia sourekii Y17312T (93.8%), Facklamia ignava CCUG 37419T (93.6%), Facklamia miroungae CCUG 42728T (93.5%), Suicoccus acidiformans ZY16052T (93.5%), Facklamia languida CCUG 37842T (93.2%), Ignavigranum ruoffiae (93.1%), and Dolosicoccus paucivorans DSM 15742T (90.8%). Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain INB8T and F. tabacinasalis CCUG 30090T were determined to be 94.5% and 58.9% respectively, confirming strain INB8T represents a novel species. The major fatty acids were C14:0, C16:0, C18:0 and C18:1 ω9c. The G + C content of strain INB8T determined from the genome was 36.3 mol%. Based on the phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic information, it is proposed that Facklamia tabacinasalis should be reclassified as Ruoffia tabacinasalis, Facklamia ignava be reclassified as Falseniella ignava, and Facklamia sourekii be reclassified Hutsoniella sourekii. It is further proposed that strain INB8T should be classified as a species of the genus Ruoffia for which the name Ruoffia halotolerans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is INB8T (= LMG 30291T = CCUG 70701T = QCC/B60/17T).

Ningiella ruwaisensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a member of the family Alteromonadaceae isolated from marine water of the Arabian Gulf.

Strain B66T was isolated from a marine water sample collected at Al Ruwais, located on the northern tip of Qatar. Cells were Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic and short- rod-shaped with a polar flagellum. The isolate was able to grow at 15-45 °C (optimum, 30 °C), at pH 5-11 (optimum, pH 6.5-8) and with 0-6 % NaCl. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain B66T was affiliated with the family Alteromonadaceae, sharing the highest sequence similarities to the genera Alteromonas (93.7-95.4 %), Aestuariibacter (94.0-95.1 %), Agaribacter (93.3-93.7 %), Glaciecola (92.0-93.7 %), Marisendiminitalea (93.2-93.3 %) and Planctobacterium (92.9 %). In the phylogenetic trees, strain B66T demonstrated the novel organism formed a distinct lineage closely associated with Aestuariibacter and Planctobacterium. Major fatty acids were C16 : 0, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c/C16 : 1 ω6c/iso-C15 : 0 2-OH and iso-C15 : 0 3-OH. The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8 and the major polar lipids are phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The DNA G+C content derived from the genome was 43.2 mol%. Based on the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, phylogenetic and genomic data, strain B66T is considered to represent a novel species and genus for which the name Ningiella ruwaisensis gen. nov., sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is B66T (=QCC B003/17T=LMG 30288 T=CCUG 70703T).

Toxicocladosporium aquimarinum sp. nov. and Toxicocladosporium qatarense sp. nov., isolated from marine waters of the Arabian Gulf surrounding Qatar.

The Arabian Gulf surrounding Qatar is distinct from other marine ecosystems due to its high salinity (35-75 PSU) and extreme water temperature fluctuations (11-40 °C). Furthermore, in the last decade, Qatar has been witnessing an industrial boom as well as extensive infrastructure construction activities. Marine micro-organisms, including fungi, remain largely unexplored in the Arabian Gulf. During a 3 year study, we investigated the diversity of marine fungi in coastal waters around Qatar. As a result, two new Toxicocladosporium species were isolated from the Qatari marine environment. Molecular and phylogenetic analyses of rRNA gene sequences of five loci, namely the internal transcribed spacer 1 and 2 regions and the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA, actin, RNA polymerase second largest subunit and beta-tubulin genes, were used to confirm the identity of the novel species for which we propose the names Toxicocladosporium aquimarinum sp. nov. and Toxicocladosporium qatarense sp. nov.

Kondoa qatarensis f.a., sp. nov., a novel yeast species isolated from marine water in Qatar.

During a study of yeast diversity in marine waters of the Arabian Gulf surrounding Qatar, 30 strains were isolated that represent a novel species of Kondoa. The isolates were obtained from five locations along the Qatari coast. Species identifications were based on sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and D1/D2 domains of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene. Five strains were selected for further study. The novel species was closely related to Kondoa aeria (CBS 8352T) and Kondoa malvinella (CBS 6082T) but differed from the two species by 5.6 % sequence divergence (16 substitutions and 14 gaps) in the ITS region. On the basis of D1/D2 domains of the LSU rRNA gene, the novel species differed from K. aeria by only >0.35 % sequence divergence (2 substitutions and 0 gaps) and 1.5 % sequence divergence (9 substitutions and 1 gap) to that of K. malvinella. Although the novel species showed a close similarity in the D1/D2 domains to K. aeria (CBS 8352T), based on the significant differences (16 substitutions) in ITS regions and on the basis of physiological and biochemical tests, viz ability to grow at 35 °C, and inability to assimilate, sucrose, raffinose, d,l-lactate, succinate, citrate and nitrite, these strains are considered as novel species of Kondoa. The species name of Kondoa qatarensis f.a., sp. nov. is proposed with specimen 2Y109 as the holotype.

Naganishia qatarensis sp. nov., a novel basidiomycetous yeast species from a hypersaline marine environment in Qatar.

Two yeast strains (INY29 and INY13) representing a novel yeast species were isolated from the hypersaline marine environment of the Inland Sea, Qatar. Phylogenetic analysis based on the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit (LSU) regions and internal transcribed spacer (ITS1 and ITS2) regions showed that the two strains represent a single species in the genus Naganishia that is distinct from other species. These two strains were classified as members of the genus Naganishia and clustered in a strongly supported clade represented by Naganishia albidus in the Filobasidiales order in the phylogenetic tree drawn from ITS and D1/D2 sequences. The novel species was most closely related to the type strain of Naganishia cerealis but the two species differed by 1 % sequence divergence (four substitutions and one gap) in the D1/D2 domains and (five substitutions and one gap) in the ITS regions. In contrast to the closest relative, N. cerealis, the novel yeast species assimilated melibiose, glycerol, meso-erythritol, dl-lactate, methanol, propane 1-2-diol, butane 2-3-diol, and grew at 35 °C. The name Naganishia qatarensis sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate these strains, with INY29 as the holotype.

Description of the Halophile Euplotes qatarensis nov. spec. (Ciliophora, Spirotrichea, Euplotida) Isolated from the Hypersaline Khor Al-Adaid Lagoon in Qatar.

The morphology, ontogenesis, and phylogenetic relationships of a halophile euplotid ciliates, Euplotes qatarensis nov. spec., isolated from the Khor Al-Adaid Lagoon in Qatar were investigated based on live observation as well as protargol- and silver nitrate-impregnated methods. The new species is characterised by a combination of features: the halophile habitat, a cell size of 50-65 × 33-40 µm, seven dorsal ridges, 10 commonly sized frontoventral cirri, two widely spaced marginal cirri, 10 dorsolateral kineties, and a double silverline pattern. The morphogenesis is similar to that of its congeners: (i) the oral primordium develops hypoapokinetally and the parental oral apparatus is retained; (ii) the frontoventral-transverse field of five streaks gives rise to the frontal, ventral, and transverse cirri, but not to the cirri I/1 and the marginal cirri; (iii) the dorsal somatic ciliature develops by intrakinetal proliferation of basal bodies in two anlagen per kinety that are just anterior and posterior to the future division furrow; (iv) the caudal cirri are formed by the two rightmost dorsolateral kineties. The SSU rDNA sequence of E. qatarensis branches with full support in the Euplotopsis elegans-Euplotes nobilii-Euplotopsis raikovi clade. The closest related publicly available SSU rDNA sequence is the one of E. nobilii, with which E. qatarensis has 93.4% sequence similarity. Euplotes parawoodruffi Song & Bradbury, 1997 is transferred to the genus Euplotoides based on the absence of frontoventral cirrus VI/3.