listeria aquatica listeria aquatica listeria aquatica is a gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, nonmotile, non-spore-forming rod-shaped species of bacteria. it is not pathogenic. it was discovered from running water in florida, and was first described in 2014. its name comes from latin, "found in water, aquatic". listeria aquatica scientific classification domain: bacteria phylum: bacillota class: bacilli order: bacillales family: listeriaceae genus: listeria species: l. aquatica binomial name listeria aquaticaden bakker et al. 2014 listeria aquatica is the only member of genus listeria that can ferment maltose. it is also the only nonmotile listeria that can ferment d-tagatose.