A high-quality reference genome of the kelp surfperch, Brachyistius frenatus (Embiotocidae), a wide-ranging Eastern Pacific reef fish with no pelagic larval stage

Abstract

The surfperches (family Embiotocidae) are a unique group of mostly marine fishes whose phylogenetic position within the Ovalentaria clade (Percomorpha) is still unresolved. As a result of their viviparity and lack of a dispersive larval stage, surfperches are an excellent model for the study of speciation, gene flow, and local adaptation in the ocean. They are also the target of an immensely popular recreational fishery. Very few high-quality molecular resources, however, are available for this group and only for a single species. Here we describe a highly complete reference genome for the kelp surfperch, Brachyistius frenatus, assembled using a combination of short read (Illumina, ~47x coverage) and long read (Oxford Nanopore Technologies, ~27x coverage) sequencing. The 596 Mb assembly has a completeness level of 98.1% (BUSCO), a contig N50 of 2.6 Mb (n = 56), and a contig N90 of 406.6 Kb (n = 293). Comparative analysis revealed a high level of synteny between B. frenatus and its close relative, Embiotoca jacksoni. This assembly will serve as a valuable molecular resource upon which future evolutionary dynamics research will build, such as the investigation of local adaptation and the genomic potential for climate adaptation in wild populations.