Aims: Characterization of a bacterial isolate (strain MAE2) from intertidal beach sediment capable of degrading linear and branched alkanes. Methods and Results: A Gram-positive, aerobic, heterotrophic bacterium (strain MAE2), that was capable of extensive degradation of alkanes in crude oil but had a limited capacity for the utilization of other organic compounds, was isolated from intertidal beach sediment. MAE2 had an obligate requirement for NaCl but could not tolerate high salt concentrations. It was capable of degrading branched and n-alkanes in crude oil from C11 to C33, but was unable to degrade aromatic hydrocarbons. Comparative 16S rRNA sequence analysis placed the isolate with members of the genus Planococcus. That ®nding was corroborated by chemotaxonomic and physiological data. The fatty acid composition of strain MAE2 was very similar to the type species of the genus Planococcus, P. citreus (NCIMB 1493 T ) and P. kocurii (NCIMB 629 T ), and was dominated by branched acids, mainly a15:0. However, the 16S rRNA of strain MAE2 had less than 97% sequence identity with the type strains of P. citreus (NCIMB 1439 T ), P. kocurii (NCIMB 629 T ) and two Planococcus spp. (strain MB6-16 and strain ICO24) isolated from Antarctic sea ice. This indicated that strain MAE2 represented a separate species from these planococci. Morphologically, the isolate resembled P. okeanokoites (NCIMB 561 T ) and P. mcmeekinii S23F2 (ATCC 700539 T ). The cellular fatty acid composition of P. okeanokoites and P. mcmeekinii was considerably different from strain MAE2, and the mol % G + C content of P. mcmeekinii was far lower than that of MAE2. Conclusions: On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic data, it is proposed that strain MAE2 is a new species of Planococcus, Planococcus alkanoclasticus sp. nov., for which the type strain is P. alkanoclasticus MAE2 (NCIMB 13489 T ). Signi®cance and Impact of the Study: Planococcus species are abundant members of the bacterial community in a variety of marine environments, including some in sensitive Antarctic ecosystems. The occurrence of hydrocarbon-degrading Planococcus spp. is potentially of importance in controlling the impact of hydrocarbon contamination in sensitive marine environments.

An autosomal recessive mutant characterized by "melanotic stink glands" has been found in the tene-brionid flour beetle, Tribolium confusum. The contents of the reservoirs of both pairs of odoriferous glands become modified in two ways as the beetles age. (i) The quinones (2-ethyl- and 2-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone) present in the secretion are reduced to 1/20 of that normally found in the wild type. (ii) The contents may be modified into a high-molecular-weight polymeric substance, which becomes visible through the exoskeleton and, upon dissection, appears as a black solid lump. The medium in densely populated cultures of the mutant becomes moldy while that containing normal beetles remains particulate. This difference suggests that one of the functions of the secretions of the odoriferous glands is to prevent the growth of fungi or bacteria in the nutrient flour.