The first complete mitogenome of the endangered spotted eagle ray, Aetobatus ocellatus, reinforces its classification within the family Aetobatidae

Abstract

The complete mitochondrial genome of the endangered spotted eagle ray, Aetobatus ocellatus, was determined for the first time using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) reads mined from the Sequence Read Archive (SRA) of the GenBank database (BioSample SAMN31811701, collection site: Bohol Island, Philippines). The mitogenome of the spotted eagle ray (GenBank accession BK072016) is 20,217 bp in length and exhibits a typical vertebrate mitogenome organization, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and a control region. A phylogenetic analysis based on the nucleotide sequences of 13 protein-coding genes from different related species confirmed the species status and classification of A. ocellatus as an Indo-West Pacific species. This species was formerly described as A. narinari, which is now recognized as being restricted to the Atlantic Ocean. The findings of this study provide significant insights into the complex taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships of Aetobatidae. They may further assist in conservation strategies and help resolve taxonomic uncertainties concerning the classification of species within Aetobatidae, which remains under debate.