The first complete mitochondrial genome of the sand dollar Sinaechinocyamus mai (Echinoidea: Clypeasteroida)

Morphologic and molecular data often lead to different hypotheses of phylogenetic relationships. Such incongruence has been found in the echinoderm class Echinoidea. In particular, the phylogenetic status of the order Clypeasteroida is not well resolved. Complete mitochondrial genomes are currently available for 29 echinoid species, but no clypeasteroid had been sequenced to date. DNA extracted from a single live individual of Sinaechinocyamus mai was sequenced with 10 x Genomics technology. This first complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) for the order Clypeasteroida is 15,756 base pairs in length. Phylogenomic analysis based on 34 ingroup taxa belonging to nine orders of the class Echinoidea show congruence between our new genetic inference and published trees based on morphologic characters, but also includes some intriguing differences that imply the need for additional investigation.