# Salinirubellus salinus

**Salinirubellus salinus** is a species of extremely halophilic archaeon, the type species of the genus *Salinirubellus*, described in 2018 from a single strain isolated from a marine solar saltern in China. Its type strain, ZS-35-S2ᵀ (= CGMCC 1.12551ᵀ = JCM 30036ᵀ), was recovered from the [Zhoushan](https://www.edgepedia.org/zhoushan) marine solar saltern in Zhejiang Province and proposed as a new genus within the order [Halobacteriales](https://www.edgepedia.org/halobacteriales).<sup>[1](https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.002757)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://lpsn.dsmz.de/species/salinirubellus-salinus)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Classification | Halophilic archaeon; type species of the genus *Salinirubellus* Hou et al. 2018, order Halobacteriales; validly published under the ICNP<sup>[2](https://lpsn.dsmz.de/species/salinirubellus-salinus)</sup> |
| Type strain | ZS-35-S2ᵀ (= CGMCC 1.12551ᵀ = JCM 30036ᵀ), isolated from the Zhoushan marine solar saltern, Zhejiang Province, China<sup>[1](https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.002757)</sup> |
| Salt requirement | Grows with 1.4–4.8 M NaCl (optimum 2.1 M); cells lyse in distilled water, and 8% (w/v) NaCl is the minimum needed to prevent lysis<sup>[1](https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.002757)</sup> |
| Other growth conditions | 25–50 °C (optimum 37 °C), 0–1.0 M MgCl₂ (optimum 0.1 M), pH 5.0–9.5 (optimum pH 7.5)<sup>[3](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29629855/)</sup> |
| DNA base composition | G+C content 67.0 mol%<sup>[1](https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.002757)</sup> |
| Sequences | 16S rRNA gene KC918829; rpoB′ gene MF425663; complete genome CP104003 and CP104004<sup>[4](https://www.jcm.riken.jp/cgi-bin/jcm/jcm_number?JCM=30036)</sup> |

## Description of the organism

The cells are pleomorphic and Gram-stain-negative, and colonies on agar plates are red-pigmented, a color typical of haloarchaea that produce carotenoid pigments. The strain is obligately halophilic: cells lyse in distilled water, and a NaCl concentration of at least 8% (w/v) is required to keep them intact.<sup>[1](https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.002757)</sup>

Growth was measured across temperature, salinity, magnesium, and pH gradients. The strain grows between 25 and 50 °C with an optimum at 37 °C, tolerates 0 to 1.0 M MgCl₂ with an optimum at 0.1 M, and grows from pH 5.0 to 9.5 with an optimum at pH 7.5.<sup>[3](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29629855/)</sup>

## Chemotaxonomy

The major polar lipids are phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester (PGP-Me), and three unidentified glycolipids; the two major glycolipids are chromatographically identical to S-DGD-1 and DGD-1. The DNA G+C content of the type strain is 67.0 mol%.<sup>[1](https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.002757)</sup>

## Taxonomy and phylogeny

Phylogenetic trees built from 16S rRNA gene and rpoB′ gene sequences showed that strain ZS-35-S2ᵀ is distinct from the related genera *Halomarina*, *Natronomonas*, *Halorientalis*, *Salinirubrum*, and *Halobaculum* of the order Halobacteriales, supporting its description as a new genus.<sup>[1](https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.002757)</sup> The species name comes from the New Latin adjective *salinus*, meaning belonging or pertaining to salt works.<sup>[2](https://lpsn.dsmz.de/species/salinirubellus-salinus)</sup>

The family-level placement of the genus has shifted as databases have been revised. The 2019 minutes of the ICSP subcommittee on the taxonomy of Halobacteria recorded that *Salinirubellus* had not yet been assigned to a family and that 16S rRNA and rpoB′ trees were inconclusive, with genome evaluation recommended for the future.<sup>[5](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335921248_International_Committee_on_Systematics_of_Prokaryotes_subcommittee_on_the_taxonomy_of_Halobacteria_and_subcommittee_on_the_taxonomy_of_Halomonadaceae_Minutes_of_the_joint_open_meeting_26_June_2019_Clu)</sup> Current databases disagree: the NCBI gene record places the genus in Haloarculaceae,<sup>[6](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/74943229)</sup> UniProt lists Natronomonadaceae,<sup>[7](https://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/1364945)</sup> and the JCM catalog lists Natronoarchaeaceae.<sup>[4](https://www.jcm.riken.jp/cgi-bin/jcm/jcm_number?JCM=30036)</sup>

## Related species and nomenclature

The specific epithet *salinus* has been reused for several unrelated organisms, including the haloarchaeon *Salinirussus salinus* (type strain YGH44, family Haloarculaceae), the gammaproteobacterium *Tamilnaduibacter salinus* from an Indian salt pan, and the amphipod *Gammarus salinus*; these are distinct taxa and not synonyms of *S. salinus*.<sup>[5](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335921248_International_Committee_on_Systematics_of_Prokaryotes_subcommittee_on_the_taxonomy_of_Halobacteria_and_subcommittee_on_the_taxonomy_of_Halomonadaceae_Minutes_of_the_joint_open_meeting_26_June_2019_Clu)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.000401)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[9](https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?id=102292&p=taxdetails)</sup> In phylogenetic trees of the class Halobacteria, *S. salinus* ZS-35-S2ᵀ appears as a separate lineage; one 2023 study found its closest 16S rRNA similarity to a new isolate at 95.2%, below the threshold typically used for placing strains in the same genus.<sup>[10](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1105929/pdf)</sup>

## References

1. [Hou J, Zhao YJ, Zhu L, Cui HL (2018). Salinirubellus salinus gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from a marine solar saltern. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 68:1874–1878.](https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.002757)
2. [Salinirubellus salinus, LPSN (List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature), DSMZ.](https://lpsn.dsmz.de/species/salinirubellus-salinus)
3. [Salinirubellus salinus gen. nov., sp. nov., PubMed record.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29629855/)
4. [JCM 30036 catalogue entry, RIKEN Japan Collection of Microorganisms.](https://www.jcm.riken.jp/cgi-bin/jcm/jcm_number?JCM=30036)
5. [Oren A, Ventosa A (2019). ICSP subcommittee on the taxonomy of Halobacteria, minutes of the joint open meeting, 26 June 2019. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 69:3657–3661.](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335921248_International_Committee_on_Systematics_of_Prokaryotes_subcommittee_on_the_taxonomy_of_Halobacteria_and_subcommittee_on_the_taxonomy_of_Halomonadaceae_Minutes_of_the_joint_open_meeting_26_June_2019_Clu)
6. [N0B31_RS12365 gene record, NCBI Gene.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/74943229)
7. [Taxonomy of Salinirubellus salinus, UniProt.](https://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/1364945)
8. [Tamilnaduibacter salinus gen. nov., sp. nov., Int J Syst Evol Microbiol.](https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.000401)
9. [Gammarus salinus Spooner, 1947, World Register of Marine Species.](https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?id=102292&p=taxdetails)
10. [Halorarius litoreus gen. nov., sp. nov. and related new haloarchaeal species, Frontiers in Marine Science (2023).](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1105929/pdf)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Microorganisms and fungi › Archaea › Archaeal taxonomy and diversity › Taxon lists and nomenclature › Monotypic taxa and description records › Monotypic archaeal species records*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*

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