Parahaliea Maris Sp. Nov., Isolated from Surface Seawater and Emended Description of the Genus Parahaliea

A Gram-stain-negative strictly aerobic, short-rod-shaped, and non-motile bacterial strain designated HSLHS9 was isolated from surface seawater collected from the South China Sea. Strain HSLHS9 could grow at 15-41°C (optimum 28°C), at pH 5.0-9.0 (optimum 6.0-7.0), and in 0-7% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 2-3%). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain HSLHS9 shared high identities with the closely related Parahaliea aestuarii S2-26 (98.6%) and Parahaliea mediterranea 7SM29 (97.8%) and formed a distinct lineage within the genus Parahaliea. Wholegenome sequencing of strain HSLHS9 revealed the size of 4.8 Mbp and DNA G + C content of 61.8 mol%. Strain HSLHS9 shared the digital DNA-DNA hybridization values of 22.4% and 23.0%, and the average nucleotide identities of 79.7% and 79.9%, respectively, with the two type strains above. The predominant cellular fatty acids of the strain were summed feature 8 (Cω6c and/or Cω7c), summed feature 3 (Cω7c and/or Cω6c), Cω8c, and C. The sole isoprenoid quinone was identified as Q-8. The polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, aminolipid, and two glycolipids. Based on taxonomic data obtained in this study, it is suggested that strain HSLHS9 represents a novel species of the genus Parahaliea, for which the name Parahaliea maris sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HSLHS9 (= MCCC 1A06717 = KCTC 52307). An emended description of the genus Parahaliea is also provided.