Desulfobulbus propionicus was able to grow with Fe(III), the humic acids analog anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS), or a graphite electrode as an electron acceptor. These results provide an explanation for the enrichment of Desulfobulbaceae species on the surface of electrodes harvesting electricity from anaerobic marine sediments and further expand the diversity of microorganisms known to have the ability to use both sulfate and Fe(III) as an electron acceptor.