The complete mitochondrial genome of the sand bubbler crab Scopimera longidactyla Shen 1932 (Decapoda: Dotillidae) and its phylogenetic analysis

TL;DR

This paper reports the first complete mitochondrial genome of the sand bubbler crab Scopimera longidactyla and its phylogenetic relationships with related species.

Contribution

The study provides the first complete mitogenome of S. longidactyla and confirms its phylogenetic position within the genus.

Findings

The mitogenome of S. longidactyla is 15,965 bp with a GC content of 29.97%.

The mitogenome arrangement matches those of two related species, S. globosa and S. intermedia.

Phylogenetic analysis supports the monophyly of the genus Scopimera and the close relationship between S. longidactyla and S. globosa.

Abstract

The sand bubbler crab, Scopimera longidactyla Shen, 1932 (Arthropoda: Malacostraca: Decapoda: Thoracotremata: Dotillidae), is commonly found along tropical and subtropical sandy shores of China, Korea, and Taiwan. Ecologically, it plays an important role in the productivity of sandy shores through their feeding and burrowing activities. In this study, the first complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of S. longidactyla was analyzed using next-generation sequencer. Its mitogenome, circular in structure, spans 15,965 bp with a GC content of 29.97%, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and one putative control region. Its mitogenome arrangement and composition are identical to its two congeners, S. globosa and S. intermedia. Phylogenetic analysis fully supports for the monophyly of the genus Scopimera and the sister relationship between S. longidactyla and S. globosa. The complete mitogenome of S. longidactyla and its phylogenetic implications will provide valuable insights for further studies in phylogenetic and evolutionary biology.

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