The chromosomal genome sequence of the Maltese sponge, Agelas oroides (Schmidt, 1864), and its associated microbial metagenome sequences

<ns3:p>We present a genome assembly from a specimen of <ns3:italic>Agelas oroides</ns3:italic> (Maltese sponge; Porifera; Demospongiae; Agelasida; Agelasidae). The genome sequence has a total length of 260.66 megabases. Most of the assembly (98.43%) is scaffolded into 23 chromosomal pseudomolecules. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 22.44 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 23,435 protein-coding genes. The metagenome of the specimen was also assembled, and 138 binned bacterial genomes were identified, including 82 high-quality MAGs that were representative of a typical high microbial abundance sponge and included besides the phyla Thermoproteota (Cenarchaeum), Chloroflexota (Dehalococcoidea), Acidobacteriota (Vicinamibacterales), Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria (Pseudomonadota) and others, also several candidate phyla (<ns3:italic>Candidatus</ns3:italic> Paceibacterota, Poribacteria, Binatia and Latescibacteria).</ns3:p>