A moderately thermophilic, methanol-oxidizing bacterium (strain Gela4(T)) was isolated from methane-utilizing mixed-culture originating from marine sediment near a hydrothermal vent. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain Gela4(T) was closely related to members of the genus `Methyloligella' (94.7% similarity) within the class Alphaproteobacteria. Strain Gela4(T) was a Gram-staining-negative and aerobic organism. Cells were rod-shaped and non-motile. The temperature range for growth of strain Gela4(T) was 19 43 degrees C (optimal growth at 35 degrees C). Strain Gela4(T) tolerated up to 9% NaCl with an optimum at 1 %. The organism was a facultative methylotroph that could utilize methanol, methylamine, trimethylamine and a variety of multi-carbon compounds. The major cellular fatty acid and major respiratory quinone were C-18:1 omega 7c and ubiquinone-10, respectively. The predominant phospholipids were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The DNA G+C content was 63.9 mol%. On the basis of the morphological, physiological, biochemical and genetic information, a novel genus and species, Methyloceanibacter caenitepidi is proposed, with Gela4(T) (=NBRC 109540(T)=DSM 27242(T)) as the type strain.