Neisseria meningitidis is a fastidious organism, which grows best at 35-37°C with ~5% CO2 (or in a candle-jar).
It can grow on both a blood agar plate and a chocolate agar plate. Colonies of N. meningitidis are unpigmented and appear round, smooth, moist, glistening, and convex, with a clearly defined edge. Some strains form pearl-like colonies.
Cultivation 24 hours in an aerobic atmosphere enriched with 5% carbon dioxide, 37°C.