A novel Gram-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterium, designated NS26(T), was isolated from a sediment sample collected from Taihu Lake in China. Colonies were orange, circular, smooth and neat-edged on Reasoner's 2A agar. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain NS26(T) belonged to the genus Brevundimonas and had the closest relationship with Brevundimonas halotolerans DSM 24448(T) (96.9 %). It grew at 20-37 degrees C (optimum, 28 degrees C), pH 5.5-10.5 (pH 7.0) and without NaCl. The major isoprenoid quinone was Q-10. The dominant cellular fatty acids were C-18: 1 omega 7c, C-16:0 and C-18: 1 omega 7c 11-methyl. The polar lipid profile comprised 1,2-diacyl-3-O-(6-phosphatidyl-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl) glycerol, 1,2- di-O-acyl-3-O-alpha-D-glycopyranuronosyl glycerol, sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerol, 1,2-di-O-acyl-3-O-[D-glycopyranosyl-(1 -> 4)-alpha-D-glucopyranuronosyl] glycerol and phosphatidylglycerol. The G+C content of genomic DNA was 68.4 mol%. The average nucleotide identity value between strain NS26(T) and B. halotolerans DSM 24448(T) was 75.6 %. Based on the polyphasic taxonomic study, strain NS26(T) is suggested to be a novel species, for which the name Brevundimonas lutea sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NS26(T) (=CGMCC 1.13680(T) =NBRC 113554(T)).