Salinicoccus salsiraiae sp nov.:: a new moderately halophilic gram-positive bacterium isolated from salted skate

Two moderately halophilic low G + C Gram-positive bacteria were isolated from a sample of salted skate (Class Chondrychthyes, Genus Raja). Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strains RH1(T) and RH4 showed that these organisms represented a novel species of the genus Salinicoccus. The new isolates formed pink-red colonies and flocculated in liquid media, with optimum growth in media containing 4% NaCl and pH of about 8.0. These organisms are aerobic but reduce nitrate to nitrite under anaerobic conditions. Acid is produced from several carbohydrates. Oxidase and catalase were detected. Menaquinone 6 was the major respiratory quinone. The major fatty acids of strains RH1(T) and RH4 were 15: 0 anteiso and 15:0 iso. The G + C contents of DNA were 46.2 and 46.0 mol%, respectively. The peptidoglycan was of A3alpha L-Lys-Gly(5) (6) type. On the basis of the phylogenetic analyses, physiological and biochemical characteristics, we suggest that strain RH1(T) (= LMG 22840 = CIP 108576) represents a new species of the genus Salinicoccus, for which we propose the name Salinicoccus salsiraiae.