Resolving the evolutionary duality of marine symbionts: redefining the genus <i>Endozoicomonas</i> and proposing <i>Neoendozoicomonas</i> gen. nov

Members of the bacterial family <i>Endozoicomonadaceae</i> are ubiquitous marine symbionts associated with diverse hosts, including corals, sponges, molluscs, and fishes. Despite their ecological pervasiveness, inhabiting hosts in deep-sea vents and sunlit coral reefs, their taxonomy remains inconsistent, largely due to reliance on 16S rRNA gene phylogenies that fail to fully resolve evolutionary relationships. Here, we integrate phylogenomics, comparative genomics, and overall genome relatedness indices across 63 high-quality genomes to re-define genus boundaries within the <i>Endozoicomonadaceae</i> family. Among the metrics, the core-proteome average amino acid identity proved the most robust for genus-level resolution, with a proposed identity cutoff of 76%, aligning with phylogenomic structure and maintaining taxonomic robustness across the family. Phylogenomic reconstructions further revealed that the taxon <i>Endozoicomonas</i> is paraphyletic, forming two well-supported but distinct clades. This prompts a taxonomic revision, dividing <i>Endozoicomonas</i> into <i>Endozoicomonas sensu stricto</i> and <i>Neoendozoicomonas</i> gen. nov., with <i>Neoendozoicomonas montiporae</i> designated as the type species. Furthermore, the sister clade to <i>Endozoicomonas sensu stricto</i>-comprising the genera <i>Endonucleibacter</i> and <i>Sororendozoicomonas</i>-is characterized by genomic streamlining, including reduced genome size, lower GC content, reduced number of orthogroups, and potential functional divergences consistent with host specialization. Functional annotations highlighted secretion and conjugation systems as key differentiators between genera, emphasizing potential distinct host-interaction strategies. This genome-based framework refines the taxonomy of the <i>Endozoicomonadaceae</i>, provides additional criteria for genus delimitation, and strengthens the evolutionary and ecological interpretation of these widespread marine bacterial symbionts.