A Gram reaction-negative, weakly motile, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped, aerobic bacterium designated strain JLT832(T) was isolated from surface water of the central Pacific Ocean and formed yellow colonies on rich organic (RO) medium. The strain was oxidase-negative and catalase-positive. Acid was produced from mannitol, glucose, sucrose, lactose, sorbitol, maltose, (+)-trehalose and d-fructose. No acid was produced from d-(+)-xylose. The major cellular fatty acids of strain JLT832(T) were C(18 : 1)ω7c, C(14 : 0) 2-OH and C(16 : 0). The major polar lipids were sphingoglycolipid, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. Ubiquinone-10 and spermidine were present as the major quinone and polyamine, respectively. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain JLT832(T) was 66.0±0.5mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the new isolate formed a tight branch within the family Sphingomonadaceae but was clearly separate from established genera in this family. The sequence similarities between the new isolate and type strains of established genera ranged from 90.5 to 94.9 %. Based on these data, strain JLT832(T) constitutes a novel genus and species, for which the name Stakelama pacifica gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Stakelama pacifica is JLT832(T) (=CGMCC 1.7294(T) =LMG 24686(T)).