Chromosome-Level Assembly and Annotation of the Endangered Red-Wing Fish (Distoechodon macrophthalmus)

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> The red-wing fish (<i>Distoechodon macrophthalmus</i>), an endangered species native to Yunnan, is endemic to Chenghai Lake. The natural population of this species has suffered a sharp decline due to the invasion of alien fish species. Fortunately, the artificial domestication and reproduction of <i>D. macrophthalmus</i> have been successful and this species has become an economic species locally. However, there is still little research on <i>D. macrophthalmus</i>. <b>Methods:</b> In this study, a high-quality genome of <i>D. macrophthalmus</i> was assembled and annotated. The genome was sequenced and assembled using the PacBio platform and Hi-C method. <b>Results:</b> The genome size is 1.01 Gb and N50 is 37.99 Mb. The assembled contigs were anchored into 24 chromosomes. BUSCO analysis revealed that the genome assembly has 95.6% gene coverage completeness. A total of 455.62 Mb repeat sequences (48.50% of the assembled genome) and 30,424 protein-coding genes were identified in the genome. <b>Conclusions:</b> This study provides essential genomic data for further research on the evolution and conservation of <i>D. macrophthalmus</i>. Meanwhile, the high-quality genome assembly also provides insights into the genomic evolution of the genus <i>Distoechodon</i>.