The longfin barb (Acrossocheilus longipinnis), a vulnerable cyprinid fish endemic to China's Pearl River basin, is of significant conservation concern and also popular in the ornamental fish trade. To facilitate genetic research and molecular breeding for this species, we generated a high-quality genome by integrating PacBio HiFi long reads and Hi-C sequencing data. The final assembly spans approximately 936.04 Mb, achieving high continuity with a contig N50 of 36.09 Mb. Assessment of genome quality revealed excellent completeness (98.76% BUSCO score) and accuracy (QV = 54.46; GCI = 29.76; CRAQ = 96.40). The vast majority of the sequence (927.20 Mb, 99.06%) was successfully anchored to 25 chromosomes. Annotation predicted 24,718 protein-coding genes and identified approximately 553.06 Mb (59.09%) of repetitive elements. This high-quality chromosome-scale reference genome provides a crucial foundation for investigating the genomic underpinnings of A. longipinnis evolution and will significantly advance molecular breeding programs aimed at its conservation and sustainable utilization.
Zechen et al. (Fri,) studied this question.