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.