An aerobic, Gram-negative, moderately halophilic bacterium, oxidase, and catalase positive-designated Abdou3(T), was isolated from salted traditional foods (Anchovies) in Tunisia. Cells were rod-shaped, non-spore-forming and motile. Growth occurred at 15-45 A degrees C (optimum, 37 A degrees C), pH 5.5-8.75 (optimum, 7.3), and in the presence of 1-15 % NaCl (optimum, 10 %). Strain Abdou3(T) used glucose, d-arabinose, and sucrose. Strain Abdou3(T) had Q9 as the major respiratory quinone and C-18:1 omega 9c and C-16:0 as predominant fatty acids. The DNA G+C content was 55.2 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis of the small-subunit ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequence indicated that strain Abdou3(T) had as its closest relative Marinobacter maritimus (identity of 96 %). Based on phenotypic, phylogenetic, and taxonomic characteristics, strain Abdou3(T) is proposed as a novel species of the genus Marinobacter within the order Alteromonadales, for which the name M. piscensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is Abdou3(T) (=DSM 26804(T)).