4. Conclusion
In this study, we presented the first chromosome-level genome assembly of C. sonnerati by combining PacBio long-read sequencing, BGI short-reads sequencing, and Hi-C sequencing technologies. The genome results supplied the first genome from the genus Cephalopholis . The genome size was about 1043.66 Mb with an N50 length of 2.49 Mb. In addition, we used Hi-C sequencing technology to scaffold 795 contigs into 24 chromosomes for genome comparison and evolutionary studies between serranid genomes (Kasahara et al., 2007). A total of 26,130 protein-coding genes were predicted in the C. sonnerati genome and 24,629 genes (94.26%) were functionally annotated. Interestingly, the enrichment analyses of the expanded gene families suggested a highly enrichment in the sensory system, while the results of the tissue-specific expression genes suggested a highly enrichment in the brain of C. sonnerati . These genome resources supply an important reference genome for studies on the genes that influence the sensory system, evolutionary adaption, genetic diversity, and brain development in C. sonnerati . Meanwhile, the obtained genome will greatly improve our understanding of the genetic diversity of serranids and promote the development of comparative evolutionary research.