[1] The order Methanosarcinales contains both methanogenic and methanotrophic lineages, although the latter have so far no pure culture representatives.

[4] The organisms placed within the order can be found in freshwater, saltwater, salt-rich sediments, anaerobic digestors, and animal digestive systems.

The order consist of mesophiles or moderately thermophillic, neutrophilic or alkaliphilic species with some able to grow at high salt concentrations (genera Methanohalobium , Methanohalophilus , and Methanosalsum).

[5][6] Most of the species in the order were isolated or detected in marine and freshawater sediments, soil with only a few specialized lineages adapted to the digestive tract of animals - genera Methanimicrococcus, Methanolapillus, and Ca.

[9] As all other methanogens, Methanosarcinales representatives are strictly anaerobic and utilize methanogenesis pathway as the only path for ATP production.