A novel hyperthermophilic archaeon, designated strain SY1(T), was isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney sample collected from the Suiyo Seamount in the Izu-Bonin Arc, Japan, at a depth of 1385 m. The cells were irregular cocci (1.2 to 2.1 micro m in diameter), occurring singly or in pairs, and stained Gram-negative. Growth was observed between 70 and 97 degrees C (optimum, 85 degrees C; 220 min doubling time), pH 6.5 and 8.8 (optimum, pH 8.0), and salinity of 2.2 and 5.3 % (optimum, 3.5 %). It was a strictly aerobic heterotroph capable of growing on complex proteinaceous substrates such as yeast extract and tryptone. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 54.4 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rDNA sequence of the isolate indicated that the isolate was closely related to Aeropyrum pernix strain K1(T). However, no significant genetic relatedness was observed between them by DNA-DNA hybridization. On the basis of the molecular and physiological traits of the new isolate, the name Aeropyrum camini sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain SY1(T) (=JCM 12091(T)=ATCC BAA-758(T)).