Name: Flexibacter maritimus Wakabayashi et al. 1986

Category: Species

Proposed as: sp. nov.

Etymology: ma.ri’ti.mus. L. masc. adj. maritimus, of the sea, maritime

Pronunciation, gender: ma-RI-ti-mus, masculine

Type strain: ATCC 43398; CCUG 35198; CIP 103528; DSM 17995; IFO 15946; JCM 21157; LMG 11612; NBRC 15946; NCIMB 2154; NCMB 2154; R2

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: AB078057 Analyse FASTA

Valid publication: Wakabayashi H, Hikida M, Masumura K. Flexibacter maritimus sp. nov., a pathogen of marine fishes. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1986; 36:396-398.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: synonym (and not recommended for medical use)

Correct name: Tenacibaculum maritimum (Wakabayashi et al. 1986) Suzuki et al. 2001

Risk group: 2

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    Cytophaga marina (ex Hikida et al. 1979) Reichenbach 1989	homotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP, illegitimate name
    Tenacibaculum maritimum (Wakabayashi et al. 1986) Suzuki et al. 2001	homotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP

• Emendations:
  • Bernardet and Grimont 1989 Bernardet JF, Grimont PAD. Deoxyribonucleic acid relatedness and phenotypic characterization of Flexibacter columnaris sp. nov., nom. rev., Flexibacter psychrophilus sp. nov., nom. rev., and Flexibacter maritimus Wakabayashi, Hikida, and Masumura 1986. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1989; 39:346-354.

• Notes:
  • ❗ Flexibacter maritimus is the correct name instead if this species is regarded as a separate species (i.e., if its nomenclatural type is not assigned to another species whose name is validly published, legitimate and not rejected and has priority) within a separate genus Flexibacter.
  • 😷 The risk group for Belgium has been imported on 2024-02-05. The full classification is: risk group = 1, note = "animal pathogen - biological class of risk animal: 2". — The risk group for Swiss Confederation has been imported on 2024-02-01. The full classification is: risk group = 2, note = "PV Important fish pathogen.". — The risk group for Germany has been imported on 2023-10-29. The full classification is: risk group = 1, note = "t2". — 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 17 times in PubMed until 2025-06-04.
  • 🙅 This name is on the List of Recommended Names for bacteria of medical importance (LoRN) as a synonym of the name to be applied to this species. The name is on LoRN because of the recorded risk group of the species itself.
  • 🧍 In the paper by Wakabayashi et al. 1986 the type strain NCMB (now NCIMB) 2154 is incorrectly cited as NCMB (now NCIMB) 2514. Publication: . Erratum. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1987; 37:92.

Parent taxon: Flexibacter Soriano 1945 (Approved Lists 1980)

Assigned by: Wakabayashi H, Hikida M, Masumura K. Flexibacter maritimus sp. nov., a pathogen of marine fishes. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1986; 36:396-398.

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Record number: 783867