Complete mitochondrial genome of the Arctic rainbow smelt Osmerus dentex (Osmeriformes, Osmeridae)

• Published in: Mitochondrial DNA Part B
• Main Authors: Evgeniy S. Balakirev, Alexandra Yu. Kravchenko, Nikolai S. Romanov, Francisco J. Ayala
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2018
• Subjects: arctic rainbow smelt osmerus dentex; european smelt o. eperlanus; atlantic rainbow smelt o. mordax; osmeridae; mallotus; hypomesus; osmerus; mitochondrial genome; Genetics; QH426-470; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1080/23802359.2018.1501301; https://doaj.org/article/e9a3fbb4da544cc8a6299da14fe18725

The complete mitochondrial genome was sequenced in two individuals of the Arctic rainbow smelt Osmerus dentex. The genome sequences are 16,615 and 16,616 bp in size, and the gene arrangement, composition, and size are very similar to the other smelt mitochondrial genomes published previously. The difference between the two O. dentex genomes studied is 0.25%, that is, 5.0 times higher in comparison with close species, the European smelt O. eperlanus studied previously. The level of mitochondrial genome divergence between O. dentex and close osmerid fishes, O. eperlanus, and O. mordax is high enough (6.86–7.54%) to consider all of them as separate biological species.