The phylogenetic position of 10 strains of the genera Planctomyces and Pirella was analyzed by 16S rRNA cataloguing. All strains are members of a single line of descent that is equivalent in depth to other major lines of the eubacterial kingdom. Strains resembling Planctomyces limnophilus group separate from those resembling Pirella staleyi and Pirella marina. Surprisingly, despite their phylogenetic diversity, all strains investigated are phenotypically very similar.

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