To provide a microorganism producing an acidic mucopolysaccharide, a method for producing an acidic mucopolysaccharide, and a skin whitening agent compounded with an acidic mucopolysaccharide as an active component.

There are provided a microorganism belonging to the genus Cobetia, giving a cultured product by the cultivation under a cultivation condition suitable for the microorganism of the genus Cobetia and enabling the separation and recovery of an acidic mucopolysaccharide from the cultured product without using the selective removal of sulfated polysaccharides; a microorganism belonging to the genus Cobetia wherein the 16S rDNA base sequence has a homology of 99.7% to Cobetia marina DSM 4741 and not 100% homology; a microorganism belonging to the genus Cobetia and named as Cobetia sp. WAK-1A (deposition number: FERM P-21101); a method for producing an acidic mucopolysaccharide, especially an acidic mucopolysaccharide for skin whitening agent by using the microorganism; and a skin whitening agent containing, as an active component, an acidic mucopolysaccharide derived from a microorganism of the genus Cobetia and produced by the production method, or its physiologically allowable salt or derivative.

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