PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bacterium producing astaxanthin diglucoside and adonixanthin diglucoside which is a new carotenoid.SOLUTION: A microorganism producing carotenoids is separated from the ocean. The microorganism is a new species of bacterium classified into the genus Paracoccus of the class Alphaproteobacteria and named strain NBRC 100637. The astaxanthin diglucoside and adonixanthin diglucoside which is the new carotenoid are produced by isolating the carotenoids prepared by the new species of bacterium and determining the structure thereof.
