Aliagarivorans marinus gen. nov., sp. nov. and Aliagarivorans taiwanensis sp. nov., facultatively anaerobic marine bacteria capable of agar degradation.

Two agarolytic strains of Gram-negative, heterotrophic, facultatively anaerobic, marine bacteria, designated AAM1T and AAT1T, were isolated from seawater samples collected in the shallow coastal region of An-Ping Harbour, Tainan, Taiwan. Cells grown in broth cultures were straight rods that were motile by means of a single polar flagellum. The two isolates required NaCl for growth and grew optimally at about 25-30 degrees C, in 2-4% NaCl and at pH 8.

Simiduia agarivorans gen. nov., sp. nov., a marine, agarolytic bacterium isolated from shallow coastal water from Keelung, Taiwan.

A Gram-negative, heterotrophic, agarolytic, marine bacterium, designated strain SA1T, was isolated from a seawater sample collected in the shallow coastal region of Keelung, Taiwan. Cells were straight to slightly curved rods. Nearly all of the cells were non-motile and non-flagellated during the exponential phase of growth in broth cultures; a few cells (<1 %) were motile and were considered to have monotrichous flagella.

Thalassomonas agarivorans sp. nov., a marine agarolytic bacterium isolated from shallow coastal water of An-Ping Harbour, Taiwan, and emended description of the genus Thalassomonas.

A marine agarolytic bacterium, designated strain TMA1(T), was isolated from a seawater sample collected in a shallow-water region of An-Ping Harbour, Taiwan. It was non-fermentative and Gram-negative. Cells grown in broth cultures were straight or curved rods, non-motile and non-flagellated.