Ovaliviridae is a family of
viruses of
archaea that is not assigned to any higher
taxonomic ranks.[1] The family contains a single genus, Alphaovalivirus, which contains a single species, Sulfolobus ellipsoid virus 1.[2] The linear
genome of
dsDNA is 23,219 bp with 172 bp inverted terminal repeats. Sulfolobus ellipsoid virus 1 was isolated from an acidic
hot spring (86−106oC, pH 2.2−2.5) in
Laguna Fumarólica,[3]Costa Rica; the only known host is Sulfolobus sp. A20.[4]