Moritella is a genus of gram-negative, rod-shaped, motile, marine bacteria in the family Moritellaceae. Members of the genus are psychrophilic or psychotolerant and are adapted to growth in cold marine environments, including deep-sea habitats and polar waters. Several species are piezophilic, growing optimally under elevated hydrostatic pressure, while others are associated with marine animals, including fish.
Taxonomy The genus was established in 1998 following phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences, which showed that the previously described Vibrio marinus formed a distinct lineage separate from Vibrio. The genus is named in honor of Japanese microbiologist Ryōsuke Morita for his contributions to marine microbiology.
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