Methanococcus maripaludis
| Methanococcus maripaludis | |
|---|---|
| Electron micrograph showing prominent archaeal features and interior body of the microorganism. Courtesy of Dr. Ken F. Jarrell and Shin-Ichi Aizawa. Mag bar of 500nm. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Archaea | 
| Kingdom: | Methanobacteriati | 
| Phylum: | Methanobacteriota | 
| Class: | Methanococci | 
| Order: | Methanococcales | 
| Family: | Methanococcaceae | 
| Genus: | Methanococcus | 
| Species: | M. maripaludis  | 
| Binomial name | |
| Methanococcus maripaludis Jones et al. 1984  | |
Methanococcus maripaludis is a species of methanogenic archaea found in marine environments, predominantly salt marshes. M. maripaludis is a non-pathogenic, gram-negative, weakly motile, non-spore-forming, and strictly anaerobic mesophile. It is classified as a chemolithoautotroph. This archaeon has a pleomorphic coccoid-rod shape of 1.2 by 1.6 μm, in average size, and has many unique metabolic processes that aid in survival. M. maripaludis also has a sequenced genome consisting of around 1.7 Mbp with over 1,700 identified protein-coding genes. In ideal conditions, M. maripaludis grows quickly and can double every two hours.