Tenacibaculum

Abstract

Te.na.ci.ba'cu.lum. L. adj. tenax ‐acis , holding fast, tenacious; L. neut. n. baculum , stick; N.L. neut. n. Tenacibaculum , rod‐shaped bacterium that adheres to the surface of marine organisms. Bacteroidetes / Flavobacteriia / Flavobacteriales / Flavobacteriaceae / Tenacibaculum Members of the genus Tenacibaculum are exclusively found in marine environments. Most of them are attached to or associated with the surface of marine organisms such as fish, macroalgae, sponges, and invertebrates. However, some strains were isolated from seawater or marine sediments. Several species are important fish pathogens while others are able to degrade complex polysaccharides such as carrageenans or alginate. Rods are 0.1–0.7 μm in diameter and 0.4–40 μm in length. Filamentous cells >100 μm long and degenerative spherical cells may occur in older cultures. Ring‐shaped cells, spores, and gas vesicles are not formed. Cells are nonflagellated. Cells of most, if not all, species are motile by gliding. Gram‐stain‐negative. Cells produce a yellow pigment that is mainly zeaxanthin. Flexirubin‐type pigments are absent. Chemo‐organotrophic and heterotrophic. Aerobic. Catalase‐ and oxidase‐positive. Grow well on media containing seawater. The major respiratory quinone is menaquinone‐6. DNA G + C content (mol%) from the draft or complete genome sequence analysis : 29.6–32.2 (38.4 for Tenacibaculum litopenaei ). Type species : Tenacibaculum maritimum Suzuki et al. 2001 VP (basonyms: “ Flexibacter marinus ” Hikida et al. 1979, Flexibacter maritimus Wakabayashi et al. 1986 VP , “ Cytophaga marina ” Reichenbach 1989).