The complete genome of L. hongkongensis is a single circular chromosome of 3,169,329 bp with a G+C content of 62.35% ( Figure 1 ). In terms of genome size and number of predicted coding sequences (CDSs), rRNA operons and tRNA genes (Table 1) , L. hongkongensis falls into a position intermediate between C. violaceum and the pathogenic Neisseria species. A similar intermediate status was also observed when the CDSs were classified into Cluster of Orthologous Groups (COG) functional categories, except for genes of RNA processing and modification (COG A), cell cycle control, mitosis and meiosis (COG D), replication, recombination and repair (COG L) and extracellular structures (COG W), of which all four bacteria have similar number of genes ( Figure 2 ). This is in line with the life cycles and growth requirements of the bacteria. C. violaceum is a highly versatile, facultative anaerobic, soil-and water-borne free-living bacterium and therefore requires the largest genome size and gene number. The pathogenic Neisseria species are strictly aerobic bacteria with human as the only host and therefore require the smallest genome size and gene number. L. hongkongensis is a facultative anaerobic bacterium that can survive in human, freshwater fish and 0-2% NaCl but not in marine fish or $3% NaCl and therefore requires an intermediate genome size and gene number.