Enrichment isolation and metabolic characteristics of Halobacteriovorax, cosmopolitan obligate predators in marine conditions

Bdellovibrionota play crucial ecological roles in regulating microbial populations and nutrient cycling through obligate predation. They are globally ubiquitous, distributed across aquatic, terrestrial, and host-associated ecosystems, and have over 1,120 genome sequences available. However, their physiological and metabolic characterization remains poorly understood due to the cultivability challenge, with only 12 isolated species reported.