Lineage: Archaea[167]; Euryarchaeota[119]; Halobacteria[34]; Halobacteriales[34]; Halobacteriaceae[33]; Halobacterium[2]
Halobacteria. Halobacterial species are obligately halophilic microorganisms that have adapted to optimal growth under conditions of extremely high salinity 10 times that of sea water. Halobacterium salinarium. This bacterium (strain R1; DSM 671) is an obligately halophilic archeon and represents the type species for the genus Halobacterium. The first recorded isolation of this organism came from the spoilage of salted fish. It is also commonly found in neutral salt lakes, marine salterns, proteinaceous products heavily salted with crude solar salt and ancient evaporate deposits. Cells display pleomorphic forms in deficient media or elevated temperatures. Some strains contain gas vacuoles. Motility is via polar tufts of flagella. Growth occurs optimally at salt concentrations of 3.5-4.5 M NaCl, no growth occurs at concentrations below 3 M NaCl. Additionally cells require 0.05-0.1 M Mg2+. [Source: NCBI Genome ]