Strain SN-82(T) was isolated from the sea-surface microlayer at Keelung on the north-east coast of Taiwan. Sequence analysis of the D1/D2 domain of the 26S rDNA of strain SN-82(T) suggested that this strain is related to the aerius clade in the Filobasidiales. Phenotypic characteristics such as the absence of sexual structures and ballistoconidia, the assimilation of myo-inositol and d-glucuronate, the inability to ferment glucose, the possession of coenzyme Q-10 and positive Diazonium blue B and urease reactions also indicated that this strain belongs to the genus Cryptococcus. However, divergences of more than 3.6 % were observed in the D1/D2 domain when compared with other described Cryptococcus species, which indicated that the isolated yeast represents a previously unrecognized member of this genus. Therefore, the novel yeast species Cryptococcus keelungensis sp. nov. is proposed, with strain SN-82(T) (=CBS 10876(T) =BCRC 23107(T) =JCM 14893(T)) as the type strain.