A novel type of bacterium has been isolated from
various geothermally heated locales on the sea floor. The
organisms are strictly anaerobic, rod-shaped, fermentative,
extremely thermophilic and grow between 55 and 90° C with
an optimum of around 80° C. Cells show a unique sheathlike
structure and monotrichous flagellation. By 16S rRNA
sequencing they clearly belong to the eubacteria, although
no close relationship to any known group could be detected.
The majority of their lipids appear to be unique in structure
among the eubacteria. Isolate MSB8 is described as
Thermotoga maritima, representing the new genus
Thermotoga.