A marine bacterium, X 153, was isolated from a pebble collected at St. Anne du Portzic (France). By 16S ribosomal DNA gene sequence analysis, X153 strain was identified as a Pseudoalteromonas sp. close to P. piscicida. The crude culture of X153 was highly active against human pathogenic strains involved in dermatologic diseases, and marine bacteria including various ichthyopathogenic Vibrio strains. The active substance occurred both in bacterial cells and in culture supernatant. An antimicrobial protein was purified to homogeneity by a 4-step procedure using size-exclusion and ion-exchange chromatography. The highly purified P-153 protein is anionic, and sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gives all apparent molecular mass of 87 kDa. The X153 bacterium protected bivalve larvae against mortality, following experimental challenges with ichthyopathogenic Vibrio. Pseudoalteromonas sp. X153 may be useful in aquaculture as a probiotic bacterium.