Table 1. Characteristics that differentiate strain CM5^T from type strains of other Halococcus species.

Strains: 1, strain CM5^T; 2, Hcc. morrhuae ATCC 17082^T; 3, Hcc. dombrowskii H4^T; 4, Hcc. salifodinae DSM 8989^T (data in columns 1–4 determined in this study unless indicated); 5, Hcc. saccharolyticus ATCC 49257^T (data from Montero et al., 1989); 6, Hcc. hamelinensis 100A6^T (data from Goh et al., 2006). +, Positive reaction or growth; −, no reaction or growth; v, variable; nd, no data available.

Characteristic	1	2	3	4	5	6
Optimum NaCl concentration (% w/v)	18	20–30a*	20–30b	20–30c	20–30	15
pH range for growth	4.0–9.0	5.5–8.0a	5.2–8.0b	6.8–9.5c	6.0–8.0	4.0–9.0
Oxidase	−	+a	+	+	+	−
Nitrate reduction	−	+	+	+	+	+
Starch hydrolysis	+	−	−	−	−	+
Gelatin liquefaction	−	+a	+	+	v	−
Tween 80 hydrolysis	−	+a	−	+	−	nd
Use of carbohydrates:
Glucose	+	−	−	+	nd	+
Lactose	−	−	−	+	+	−

^*Data taken from following references:

^a, Grant & Larsen (1989);

^b, Stan-Lotter et al. (2002);

^c, Denner et al. (1994).