Flavobacterium crassostreae sp. nov., isolated from Pacific oyster

A yellow, rod-shaped, Gram-reaction-negative bacterial strain, designated LPB0076^T, was isolated from a Pacific oyster. Results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses indicated that the strain represented a member of the genus Flavobacterium. It had the highest sequence similarity to the type strains of Flavobacterium frigidarium (97.6 %) and Flavobacterium omnivorum (97.0 %), and its similarities with all other species of the genus Flavobacterium were below 97.0 %. Its genome size (3.02 Mb), DNA G+C content (36.0 mol%), predominant cellular fatty acids (anteiso-C_{15 : 0}, iso-C_{15 : 0} and C_{16 : 1}ω7c and/or C_{17 : 1}ω6c), and major polar lipid (phosphatidylethanolamine) were similar to those described previously for members of the genus Flavobacterium. In contrast, a number of phenotypic characteristics, including the inability to grow microaerophilically, absence of flexirubin-type pigments and gliding motility and differences in enzymatic reactions, clearly distinguished LPB0076T from other species of the genus Flavobacterium. The polyphasic data presented in this study indicate that this isolate should be classified as representing a novel species of the genus Flavobacterium. The name Flavobacterium crassostreae sp. nov. is therefore proposed for the isolate, with the type strain being LPB0076^T (=KACC 18706^T=JCM 31219^T).