A non-motile, rod-shaped and pinkish-red-pigmented bacterium, designated strain WPCB131(T), was isolated from freshwater of Woopo wetland, Republic of Korea. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that this isolate represents a novel member of the genus Hymenobacter with sequence similarities of 93.2-95.5 % to known Hymenobacter species. No other taxa in the phylum Bacteroidetes showed more than 90 % sequence similarity to the isolate. Cells were Gram-negative, oxidase-negative and catalase-positive. Optimum growth was observed at pH 6 and 30 degrees C. The major fatty acids were iso-C(15 : 0) (34.8 %), C(16 : 1)omega5c (15.0 %), anteiso-C(17 : 1) B/iso-C(17 : 1) I (14.4 %) and C(16 : 1)omega7c/iso-C(15 : 0) 2-OH (13.8 %). The DNA G+C content of strain WPCB131(T) was 65 mol%. The isolate could be readily distinguished from other Hymenobacter species using a combination of phenotypic characters. On the basis of the polyphasic evidence presented in this study, it is proposed that strain WPCB131(T) (=IMSNU 14116(T)=KCTC 12533(T)=NBRC 101118(T)) represents a novel species, Hymenobacter rigui sp. nov.