Mitochondrial genomes of the freshwater monogonont rotifer Brachionus fernandoi and of two additional B. calyciflorus sensu stricto lineages from Germany and the USA (Rotifera, Brachionidae)

Abstract

The Brachionus calyciflorus species complex was recently subdivided into four species, but genetic resources to resolve phylogenetic relationships within this complex are still lacking. We provide two complete mitochondrial (mt) genomes from B. calyciflorus sensu stricto (Germany, USA) and the mt coding sequences (cds) from a German B. fernandoi. Phylogenetic analysis placed our B. calyciflorus sensu stricto strains close to the published genomes of B. calyciflorus, forming the putative sister species to B. fernandoi. Global representatives of B. calyciflorus sensu stricto (i.e. Europe, USA, and China) are genetically closer related to each other than to B. fernandoi (average pairwise nucleotide diversity 0.079 intraspecific vs. 0.254 interspecific).

Keywords: Brachionus calyciflorus s.s.; Brachionus fernandoi; Mitogenome; cryptic species; monogonont rotifer.