| Methanocaldococcus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Archaea |
| Kingdom: | Euryarchaeota |
| Phylum: | Euryarchaeota |
| Class: | Methanococci |
| Order: | Methanococcales |
| Family: | Methanocaldococcaceae |
| Genus: | Methanocaldococcus |
| Binomial name | |
|
Methanocaldococcus Whitman 2002 |
|
| Species | |
In taxonomy, Methanocaldococcus is a genus of the Methanocaldococcaceae.
Methanocaldococcus formerly known as Methanococcus is a genus of coccoid methanogens. They are all mesophiles, except the thermophilic M. thermolithotrophicus and the hyperthermophilic M. jannaschii. The latter was discovered at the base of a “white smoker” chimney at 21°N on the East Pacific Rise and it was the first archaean genome to be completely sequenced, revealing many novel and eukaryote-like elements.