Echinicola pacifica gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel flexibacterium isolated from the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius

The taxonomic position of three novel marine, heterotrophic, pigmented and agarolytic bacteria with gliding motility, isolated from the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius, was investigated. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strains KMM 6166, KMM 6172T and KMM 6173 are members of the phylum Bacteroidetes; their nearest neighbours were Belliella baltica and Hongiella marincola (similarities of 94.5 and 93.6 %, respectively). The DNA G+C content of the strains was 44-45 mol%. The predominant fatty acids were C15 : 0 iso, C16:1omega5c, C17:1 iso omega9c, C17:0 iso 3-OH and summed feature 3 (C16:1omega7c and/or C15:0 iso 2-OH). The major respiratory quinone was MK-7. Results of molecular experiments supported by phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data enabled the isolates to be classified as representatives of a novel species in a new genus, for which the name Echinicola pacifica gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. Echinicola pacifica is the type species of the genus Echinicola, and its type strain is KMM 6172T (=KCTC 12368T=LMG 23350T).