Two novel Psychrobacter-like bacterial strains, JG-219(T) and JG-220, were isolated from jeotgal, a traditional Korean fermented seafood. Cells of strains JG-219(T) and JG-220 were Gram-negative, non-motile coccobacilli. Growth of the two strains was observed at 4-32 degrees C. They grew optimally in the presence of 2-5 % (w/v) NaCl. Strains JG-219(T) and JG-220 contained C(18 : 1)omega9c and C(17 : 1)omega8c as the major fatty acids and Q-8 as the predominant ubiquinone. The DNA G+C contents of strains JG-219(T) and JG-220 were 43.5 and 43.0 mol%, respectively. The two strains showed no difference in their 16S rRNA gene sequences but exhibited minor differences in their phenotypic properties. Strains JG-219(T) and JG-220 exhibited levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 95.2-98.7 % to the type strains of recognized Psychrobacter species. The mean level of DNA-DNA relatedness between strains JG-219(T) and JG-220 was 84.4 %. The two strains exhibited levels of DNA-DNA relatedness of 1.5-32.9 % to the type strains of eight phylogenetically related Psychrobacter species. On the basis of phenotypic data and phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, the two strains were classified as representing a novel species within the genus Psychrobacter, Psychrobacter cibarius sp. nov. The type strain is JG-219(T) (=KCTC 12256(T)=DSM 16327(T)).