Vibrio hippocampi sp. nov., a new species isolated from wild seahorses (Hippocampus guttulatus)

A Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, motile and slightly curved rod-shaped bacterium (BFLP-4(T)) was isolated from the faeces of wild seahorses (Hippocampus guttulatus) captured in northwest Spain (Toralla, Galicia). Strain BFLP-4(T) grew at 10-35 degrees C and pH 5-9 (optimally at 20 degrees C and pH 7.2) and at salt concentrations in the range 0-7% w/v NaCl. The G+C content of the DNA was 49.3 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that strain BFLP-4(T) was a member of the genus Vibrio, being most closely related to Vibrio ichthyoenteri (97.1%), Vibrio mediterranei (96.7%), Vibrio scophthalmi (96.7%) and Vibrio sinaloensis (96.6%). A phylogenetic analysis based on recA gene sequences also supported the affiliation of strain BFLP-4(T) to the genus Vibrio. Strain BFLP-4(T) could be readily differentiated from other closely related species by several phenotypic properties and fatty acid profiles. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data, strain BFLP-4(T) represents a novel species within the genus Vibrio, for which the name Vibrio hippocampi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BFLP-4(T) (=DSM 22717(T)=LMG 25354(T)).