A Gram-negative, ovoid rod-shaped bacterium that lacked bacteriochlorophyll a, designated strain Y-2(T), was isolated from seawater of the Taiwan Strait, China. The strain was oxidase- and catalase-positive, and reduced nitrate to nitrite. Optimal growth occurred at around pH 7.0 and 25 degrees C in the presence of 1-3 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain Y-2(T) belonged to the class Alphaproteobacteria and formed a coherent cluster with Donghicola eburneus SW-277(T) (96.2 % sequence similarity). The major whole-cell fatty acid was C(18 : 1)omega7c (75.42 %). Other characteristic fatty acids were C(18 : 0) (9.16 %) and C(16 : 0) (7.32 %). The DNA G+C content of strain Y-2(T) was 62.4 mol%. Therefore, based on phenotypic properties, phylogeny and genomic data, strain Y-2(T) should be placed in the genus Donghicola as representing a novel species, for which the name Donghicola xiamenensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is Y-2(T) (=MCCC 1A00107(T)=LMG 24574(T)=CGMCC 1.7081(T)).