thermococcus chitonophagus thermococcus chitonophagus thermococcus chitonophagus is a chitin-degrading, hyperthermophilic archaeon isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent. it is anaerobic, round to slightly irregular coccus-shaped, 1.2–2.5 μm in diameter, and motile by means of a tuft of flagella. thermococcus chitonophagus scientific classification domain: archaea kingdom: euryarchaeota phylum: euryarchaeota class: thermococci order: thermococcales family: thermococcaceae genus: thermococcus species: t. chitonophagus binomial name thermococcus chitonophagushuber and stetter 1996 t. chitonophagus is one of only three species of archaeon that can grow on chitin. the chitinase was isolated and found to have a molecular weight of 70 kda. it retains 50% of its activity after an hour at 120 °c.