A chromosome-level genome assembly of Hong Kong catfish (Clarias fuscus) uncovers a sex-determining region

BackgroundHong Kong catfish (Clarias fuscus) is an ecologically and economically important species that is widely distributed in freshwater regions of southern China. Hong Kong catfish has significant sexual growth dimorphism. The genome assembly of the Hong Kong catfish would facilitate study of the sex determination and evolution mechanism of the species.ResultsThe first high-quality chromosome-level genome of the Hong Kong catfish was constructed. The total genome was 933.4 Mb, with 416 contigs and a contig N50 length of 8.52 Mb. Using high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) data, the genome assembly was divided into 28 chromosomes with a scaffold N50 length of 36.68 Mb. A total of 23,345 protein-coding genes were predicted in the genome, and 94.28% of the genes were functionally annotated in public databases. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that C. fuscus and Clarias magur diverged approximately 63.7 million years ago. The comparative genome results showed that a total of 60 unique, 353 expanded and 851 contracted gene families were identified in Hong Kong catfish. A sex-linked quantitative trait locus identified in a previous study was located in a sex-determining region of 30.26 Mb (0.02 to 30.28 Mb) on chromosome 13 (Chr13), the predicted Y chromosome. This QTL region contained 785 genes, of which 18 were identified as sex-related genes.ConclusionsThis study is the first to report the chromosome-level genome assembly of Hong Kong catfish. The study provides an excellent genetic resource that will facilitate future studies of sex determination mechanisms and evolution in fish.

Automated summary

This study successfully constructed the high-quality chromosome-level genome of Hong Kong catfish, providing a valuable resource for studying sex determination and evolution mechanisms in this species. The genome of Hong Kong catfish was found to be 933.4 Mb in total length, with 23,345 protein-coding genes, of which 94.28% were functionally annotated in public databases. Comparative genome analysis revealed 60 unique, 353 expanded, and 851 contracted gene families in Hong Kong catfish. Additionally, a sex-determining region related to a quantitative trait locus was identified, containing 785 genes, of which 18 were confirmed as sex-related genes.