The genome of Mekong tiger perch (Datnioides undecimradiatus) provides insights into the phylogenic position of Lobotiformes and biological conservation

Mekong tiger perch ( Datnioides undecimradiatus ) is one ornamental fish and a vulnerable species, which belongs to order Lobotiformes. Here, we report a ∼595 Mb D. undecimradiatus genome, which is the first whole genome sequence in the order Lobotiformes . Based on this genome, the phylogenetic tree analysis suggested that Lobotiformes and Sciaenidae are closer than Tetraodontiformes, resolving a long-time dispute. We depicted the pigment synthesis pathway in Mekong tiger perch and result confirmed that this pathway had evolved from the shared whole genome duplication. We also estimated the demographic history of Mekong tiger perch, showing the effective population size suffered a continuous reduction possibly related to the contraction of immune-related genes. Our study provided a reference genome resource for the Lobotiformes , as well as insights into the phylogeny of Eupercaria and biological conservation.