vs

Clostridium celerecrescens compared with Clostridium tertium

Taxonomic Classification

Rank
Kingdom same	Bacteria (Bacteria)	Bacteria (Bacteria)
Phylum same	Firmicutes_A	Firmicutes_A
Class same	Clostridia (Clostridia)	Clostridia (Clostridia)
Order same	Clostridiales (Clostridiales)	Clostridiales (Clostridiales)
Family same	Clostridiaceae	Clostridiaceae
Genus same	Clostridium	Clostridium
Species	Clostridium celerecrescens	Clostridium tertium

Evolutionary Relationship

and share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Clostridium.

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Native to Asia, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Taiwan.

Habitat

Native to Asia, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Taiwan.

Clostridium celerecrescens is an anaerobic, endospore-forming bacterium in the family Clostridiaceae whose species epithet celerecrescens reflects its notably rapid growth rate compared to many other clostridia, which typically grow more slowly under anaerobic conditions. It is found in anaerobic environments including soils, sediments, and the digestive tracts of animals where fermentation of carbohydrates and organic compounds occurs. Like all Clostridium species, it is a strictly anaerobic, Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium capable of producing resistant endospores that permit survival under environmental stresses. The rapid growth phenotype of C. celerecrescens makes it of potential interest for industrial biotechnology applications where fast colonization and fermentation rates are advantageous, including in bioremediation of contaminated anaerobic environments or in bioprocessing systems designed to convert organic substrates into valuable products through anaerobic fermentation. The genus Clostridium represents one of the most metabolically diverse groups of bacteria, encompassing species producing ethanol, butanol, hydrogen gas, and various organic acids from diverse carbon sources.

Clostridium tertium is an aerotolerant, endospore-forming bacterium in the family Clostridiaceae notable among clostridia for its ability to grow in the presence of atmospheric oxygen, despite being classified within the genus of strictly anaerobic organisms. Its relative aerotolerance distinguishes it from most genus members and contributes to its occasional isolation from clinical sources. C. tertium is considered an opportunistic pathogen, causing bacteremia primarily in immunocompromised patients including those undergoing chemotherapy, with neutropenia as a key risk factor. The bacterium has been isolated from soil, water, and the gastrointestinal tract of animals and humans. Despite causing bacteremia and occasionally more invasive infections, C. tertium does not produce recognized exotoxins comparable to the major histotoxic clostridia, and its pathogenic mechanisms involve host immune evasion rather than direct toxin-mediated tissue destruction. Clinically, C. tertium bacteremia carries significant mortality in neutropenic patients but responds to beta-lactam antibiotics unlike C. difficile or C. perfringens infections. Its natural aerotolerance makes it unusual within the Clostridium genus and raises evolutionary questions about the anaerobic ancestry of this lineage.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇹🇼 Taiwan