Methanococcus
| Methanococcus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Archaea |
| Kingdom: | Methanobacteriati |
| Phylum: | Methanobacteriota |
| Class: | Methanococci |
| Order: | Methanococcales |
| Family: | Methanococcaceae |
| Genus: | Methanococcus Kluyver and van Niel 1936 |
| Type species | |
| Methanococcus vannielii Stadtman & Barker 1951 | |
| Species | |
| |
Methanococcus is a genus of coccoid methanogens of the family Methanococcaceae. They are all mesophiles, except the thermophilic M. thermolithotrophicus and the hyperthermophilic M. jannaschii. The latter was discovered at the base of a "white smoker" chimney at 21°N on the East Pacific Rise and it was the first archaeal genome to be completely sequenced, revealing many novel and eukaryote-like elements.