The discovery of filamentous Desulfobulbaceae in 2012 elucidates the cause of the small electric currents measured in the top layer of marine sediment.

[2] These organisms, referred to as "cable bacteria", consist in thousands of cells arranged in filaments up to three centimeters in length.

[1][3][4][5][6] Later investigations revealed their ability to use nitrate or nitrite as final electron acceptor in absence of oxygen[7][8] Since the discovery, cable bacteria have been reported from a wide variety of sediments worldwide.

[9] Based on phylogenetic analysis of 16s rRNA and dsrAB genes it was proposed to allocate cable bacteria within two novel candidate genera i.e. Ca.

[10] The currently accepted taxonomy is based on the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN)[11] and National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)[12] Desulfolithobacter Hashimoto et al. 2023 Desulfobulbus Desulfobulbus rhabdoformis Desulfogranum "Ca.