Three Gram-negative, anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria (strains CB40, CB41 and CB42(T)) were isolated from human faeces. Based on phylogenetic analysis and specific phenotypic characteristics, these strains were included in the genus Bacteroides, and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that these strains represented a novel species. The strains were most closely related to the type strains of Bacteroides barnesiae and Bacteroides salanitronis, with sequence similarities of 93.4 and 89.8 %, respectively. The G+C content of strain CB42(T) is 44.7 mol%. Major fatty acids were anteiso-C(15 : 0), C(16 : 0), iso-C(17 : 0) 3-OH and C(18 : 1)omega9c. On the basis of the data presented, a novel Bacteroides species, Bacteroides coprophilus sp. nov., is proposed, with CB42(T) (=JCM 13818(T)=DSM 18228(T)) as the type strain.