Abstract
Crustacean amphipods are important trophic links between primary producers and higher consumers. Although most amphipods occur in or around aquatic environments, the family Talitridae is the only family found in terrestrial and semi-terrestrial habitats. The sand-hopper Trinorchestia longiramus is a talitrid species often found in the sandy beaches of South Korea. In this study, we present the first draft genome assembly and annotation of this species. We generated ~380.3 Gb of sequencing data assembled in a 0.89 Gb draft genome. Annotation analysis estimated 26,080 protein-coding genes, with 89.9% genome completeness. Comparison with other amphipods showed that T. longiramus has 327 unique orthologous gene clusters, many of which are expanded gene families responsible for cellular transport of toxic substances, homeostatic processes, and ionic and osmotic stress tolerance. This first talitrid genome will be useful for further understanding the mechanisms of adaptation in terrestrial environments, the effects of heavy metal toxicity, as well as for studies of comparative genomic variation across amphipods.
Highlights
Background & SummaryAmphipoda is an order of malacostracan crustaceans, composed of more than 228 families with over 10,200 species[1]
Most members of Amphipoda are found in aquatic environments, with both freshwater and marine species that occur in diverse habitats[2,3,4,5,6]
Previous work on talitrids examined levels of genetic variation[16,17], behavioral adaptations[18], osmoregulation[19], and orientation studies[20]. Most of these studies were carried out along the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea regions. Despite such biological and ecological significance, no genome studies have been performed on any talitrid species, and only three genomes have been studied among the entire amphipod order
Summary
Amphipoda is an order of malacostracan crustaceans, composed of more than 228 families with over 10,200 species[1]. The coastal talitrids, known as “sand-hoppers,” are considered key species for energy flow to higher trophic levels[8] They play a crucial role in food web dynamics by feeding on algal-biomass[9] and detritus along sandy beaches. Previous work on talitrids examined levels of genetic variation[16,17], behavioral adaptations[18], osmoregulation[19], and orientation studies[20] Most of these studies were carried out along the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea regions. Despite such biological and ecological significance, no genome studies have been performed on any talitrid species, and only three genomes have been studied among the entire amphipod order.
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