# The complete mitochondrial genome of Atheraster arandae (Asteroidea: Valvatida: Goniasteridae) from the western Pacific

## TL;DR

This paper reports the full mitochondrial genome of a sea star species, offering insights into its genetics and evolutionary relationships.

## Contribution

The study provides the first complete mitogenome sequence for Atheraster arandae and clarifies its phylogenetic position.

## Key findings

- The complete mitogenome of A. arandae is 16,292 bp long and includes 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes.
- Phylogenetic analysis shows A. arandae is closely related to Iconaster longimanus.
- The study enhances understanding of the Goniasteridae lineage's evolutionary relationships.

## Abstract

This study presents the complete mitogenome sequence of Atheraster arandae, providing valuable information for its genetic and taxonomic research. Through next-generation sequencing, we successfully obtained the complete mitogenome of A. arandae, with a length of 16,292 bp. The mitogenome consisted of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. Both Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian inference phylogenetic trees demonstrated that A. arandae clustered closely with Iconaster longimanus. By revealing its mitogenome and positioning its phylogenetic placement within the Goniasteridae lineage, this study provides insights into the phylogenetic context of A. arandae.