A Gram-negative, slightly halophilic, non-pigmented, strictly aerobic, chemo-organotrophic bacterium was isolated from Mediterranean sea water off the Spanish coast near Valencia. This strain was poorly reactive, being unable to grow in most carbon sources analysed in minimal medium. However, good growth was observed when more complex media and longer incubation times were used. Phylogenetic analysis based on an almost complete 16S rRNA gene sequence placed strain 2SM4(T) within the Roseobacter group, in the vicinity of uncultured bacteria described as gall symbionts of several species of the red alga Prionitis. Sequence similarity values between strain 2SM4(T) and the closest neighbouring species were below 95.0 %. The cellular fatty acid composition of the Mediterranean strain confirmed its position within the 'Alphaproteobacteria', sharing 18 : 1omega7c as the major cellular fatty acid. The phylogenetic distance from any taxon with a validly published name and also a number of distinguishing features support the designation of strain 2SM4(T) as representing a novel genus and species, for which the name Nereida ignava gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 2SM4(T) (=CECT 5292(T)=DSM 16309(T)=CIP 108404(T)=CCUG 49433(T)).