A Gram-positive, endospore-forming, rod-shaped and moderately halophilic bacterium was isolated from a salt crust sample collected in Gharsa salt lake (Chott el Gharsa), Tunisia. The newly isolated bacterium designated SA-Vb1T was identified based on polyphasic taxonomy including genotypic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characterization. Strain SA-Vb1T was closely related to Virgibacillus marismortui and V. olivae with 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 99.7% and 99.4%, respectively. However, strain SA-Vb1T was distinguished from these two species on phenotypic characteristics and on the basis of DNA-DNA relatedness (29.4% and 5.1%, respectively). Genetic relationships between strain SA-Vb1T and the type species V. pantothenticus IAM 11061T and other type strains of the genus were 96-98% based on 16S rRNA gene and 18.3-22.3% based on DNA-DNA hybridization. Biochemical analysis resulted in determination of major fatty acids, iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15:0 and anteiso-C17:0 (33.3%, 29.2%, and 9.8%, respectively); phosphatidyl glycerol, diphosphatidyl glycerol, and phosphatidyl ethanolamine were the main polar lipids; and MK-7 the predominant menaquinone (~100%). The distinct characteristics demonstrated by these data show that strain SA-Vb1T represents properties of a novel species of the genus Virgibacillus. Accordingly, this isolate is proposed as Virgibacillus salarius sp. nov. The type strain is SA-Vb1T (=JCM 12946T =DSM 18441T).