Complete mitochondrial genome sequence for the cuneate drum Nibea miichthioides (Perciformes, Sciaenidae) and its phylogeny

The cuneate drum, Nibea miichthioides, is a native sciaenid species with relevant commercial importance in China. However, the wild resource represented by this species has been severely damaged owing to overfishing and water pollution. For conserving and recovering the species through appropriate measures, genetic studies on the population are necessary. The complete mitochondrial genome of N. miichthioides is a supplement to the mitogenome database for giant croakers and can be used to address taxonomic problems and phylogenetic relationships in Sciaenidae. In this study, we sequenced and characterized the complete mitochondrial genome of N. miichthioides. The full length of the complete mitochondrial DNA was 16,490 bp. It contained 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes and a control region. All 21 tRNA genes can fold into a typical cloverleaf structure except for tRNASer (AGY), which lacks a dihydrouridine arm. The phylogenetic analysis using the complete mitochondrial genome revealed that N. miichthioides, A. amoyensis, N. japonica and A. japonicus might be grouped in Argyrosomus, but not belonged to Nibea of Argyrosominae, which was highly consistent with the proposal of Talwar. This investigation provides an effective molecular tool for genetic research on and protection of this endangered species.