Name: Alterococcus agarolyticus Shieh and Jean 1999

Category: Species

Proposed as: sp. nov.

Etymology: a.ga.ro.ly’ti.cus. N.L. neut. n. agarum, agar, a complex gelling polysaccharide from marine red algae (from Malayan n. agar); N.L. masc. adj. lyticus, able to loose, able to dissolve; from Gr. masc. adj. lytikos, dissolving; N.L. masc. adj. agarolyticus, agar-dissolving

Pronunciation (Latin), gender: al-te-ro-KOK-kus a-ga-ro-LY-ti-kus, masculine

Type strain: ADT3; BCRC 19135; CCRC 19135; CIP 106113

See detailed strain information at

16S rRNA gene: AF075271 Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Shieh WY, Jean WD. Alterococcus agarolyticus, gen.nov., sp.nov., a halophilic thermophilic bacterium capable of agar degradation. Can J Microbiol 1998; 44:637-645. 🇹🇼

IJSEM list: Anonymous. Validation list no. 69. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSB. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1999; 49:341-342.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: correct name (and explicitly recommended for medical use)

Risk group: 2

• Notes:
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the genus Alterococcus Shieh and Jean 1999. Publication: Shieh WY, Jean WD. Alterococcus agarolyticus, gen.nov., sp.nov., a halophilic thermophilic bacterium capable of agar degradation. Can J Microbiol 1998; 44:637-645. 🇹🇼
  • 📧 The e-mail address of the corresponding author given in the effective publication is not functional any more.
  • 😷 The risk group for Canada has been imported on 2024-02-27. The full classification is: risk group = 1, note = "Animal classification RG: 1 - Security sensitive biological agent: No - Terrestrial animal pathogen under Canadian Food Inspection Agency authority: No - Containment level: Containment Level 1". — The risk group for Swiss Confederation has been imported on 2024-02-01. The full classification is: risk group = 2. — The risk group for Germany has been imported on 2026-08-13. The full classification is: risk group = 1. — If in doubt, use the risk group given in the regulations for your country and, if these are not available, use the risk group given in the catalogue of the culture collection from which you have obtained or intend to obtain the strain.
  • 🎓 Name mentioned 2 times in PubMed until 2026-06-11.
  • 🙆 This name is on the List of Recommended Names for bacteria of medical importance (LoRN) as the name to be applied to this species. The name is on LoRN because of the recorded risk group of the species itself.

Parent taxon: Alterococcus Shieh and Jean 1999

Assigned by: Shieh WY, Jean WD. Alterococcus agarolyticus, gen.nov., sp.nov., a halophilic thermophilic bacterium capable of agar degradation. Can J Microbiol 1998; 44:637-645. 🇹🇼

Linking: To permanently link to this page, use https://doi.org/10.83108/rn.783353Copy to clipboardLink copied to clipboard

Record number: 783353