A Gram-reaction-negative, strictly aerobic, non-motile and rod-shaped bacterial strain, AY17T, was isolated from the Chishui River in Guizhou Province, South-west China. Strain AY17T grew optimally at pH 7.0 and 20 °C. Flexirubin-type pigments were produced. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain AY17T belonged to the family Chitinophagaceae within the phylum Bacteroidetes; the closest phylogenetic relative was Taibaiella smilacinae PTJT-5T (95.3% gene sequence similarity). The DNA G+C content was 49.5 mol%. Strain AY17T contained MK-7 as the predominant respiratory quinone and phosphatidylethanolamine as the major polar lipid. The major fatty acids were iso-C15:0, iso-C15:1G and iso-C17:0 3-OH. On the basis of phylogenetic, phenotypic and genetic data, strain AY17T was classified as representing a novel species of the genus Taibaiella, for which the name Taibaiella chishuiensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is AY17T (=CGMCC 1.12700T=JCM 19637T).