Methanococcus is a genus of coccoid methanogens of the family Methanococcaceae.
The latter was discovered at the base of a “white smoker” chimney at 21°N on the East Pacific Rise[2] and it was the first archaeal genome to be completely sequenced, revealing many novel and eukaryote-like elements.
[3] The currently accepted taxonomy is based on the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN) [4] and National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).
[5] Methanocaldococcus Methanotorris Methanofervidicoccus Methanothermococcus thermolithotrophicus (type species) Methanothermococcus okinawensis Methanococcus aeolicus Kendall et al. 2006 M. maripaludis Jones et al. 1984 M. vannielii Stadtman and Barker 1951 (type sp.)
Ward et al. 1989 Methanotorris Methanofervidicoccus abyssi Methanothermococcus okinawensis Methanococcus aeolicus Methanothermococcus thermolithotrophicus M. voltae M. maripaludis M. vannielii