# The complete mitogenome of an unidentified Oikopleura species

## TL;DR

This paper presents the complete mitochondrial genome of an unknown Oikopleura species from Japan, which will help improve environmental DNA studies of appendicularians.

## Contribution

The paper provides a new complete mitochondrial genome for an unidentified appendicularian species.

## Key findings

- The mitochondrial genome has significant sequence differences from existing assemblies.
- It will serve as a useful resource for ecological and mitochondrial studies of appendicularians.

## Abstract

Appendicularians are planktonic tunicates abundant all over the world. Currently, only two complete annotated mitochondrial genome assemblies are available for appendicularians, both for cryptic species of
Oikopleura dioica. This underrepresentation of available appendicularian mitochondrial genomes limits environmental DNA sequencing (eDNA) studies that rely on mitochondrial markers as a taxonomic barcode. We report the complete mitochondrial genome assembly and annotation of an unknown appendicularian species isolated from the Amami Oshima island, Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, that has significant sequence difference with other currently available assemblies and will serve as a useful resource for ecological studies and further mitochondrial studies of appendicularians.