We propose a new genus to accommodate the phototrophic bacterium Gemmobacter changlensis [Chen W. M., Cho, N. T., Huang, W. C., Young, C. C. & Sheu, S. Y. (2013) Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 63, 470-478] based on multiple strain analysis. Differences in the major diagnostic properties such as ability to grow phototrophically, the presence of internal photosynthetic membranes, the light harvesting complexes, fatty acids, carotenoids, bacterial chlorophylls, polar lipid composition and some other phenotypic properties warrant the creation of a new genus, designated Cereibacter gen. nov., to accommodate the phototrophic members of the genus Gemmobacter, as represented by the type species Cereibacter changlensis comb. nov.