In this work, a new strain WR-17 was isolated for photo-fermentative hydrogen production and its hydrogen production capacity was investigated by utilizing main liquid byproducts of three dark fermentation types in batch culture. Experimental results indicated that strain WR-17 was identified as genus Rhodopseudomonas and maximum hydrogen yield of 2.42 mol H-2/mol acetate was obtained when the acetate was used as sole carbon source. Strain WR-17 had an excellent ability of using mixed short chain acids of three typical fermentations such as acetate and ethanol, acetate and butyrate, acetate and propionate. Result demonstrated that the metabolites of butyric acid-type fermentation as substrate is fitting to produce hydrogen and maximum cumulative hydrogen volume of 2156 ml/L-medium was obtained when acetate of 30 mmol/L and butyrate of 15 mmol/L were used. Therefore, butyric acid-type fermentation has great potential for further obtaining high hydrogen yield by the combining photo-fermentation. (C) 2019 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.