ERGA-BGE genome of Noah's Ark shell (Arca noae Linnaeus, 1758), a Mediterranean bivalve species

Abstract

Arca noae, also known as the Noahs Ark clam, is a bivalve mollusk found in the shallow coastal waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic Ocean. This species plays a crucial ecological role by filtering plankton and organic particles from the water, helping maintain water quality and supporting nutrient cycling in marine ecosystems. It is also an important food source for various marine predators, including fish and crustaceans, thereby contributing to the coastal food web. Arca noae is notably resilient to environmental stressors, such as temperature fluctuations, changes in salinity, and pollution, making it a valuable model species for studying how bivalves adapt and respond to stress. While it is not commonly harvested commercially, Arca noae is of great interest to marine researchers due to its ability to thrive in diverse coastal habitats. The reference genome of Arca noae will thus provide important evolutionary insights. The entirety of the genome sequence was assembled into 19 contiguous chromosomal pseudomolecules. This chromosome-level assembly encompasses 1.5 Gb, composed of 257 contigs and 119 scaffolds, with contig and scaffold N50 values of 20.5 Mb and 84.7 Mb, respectively.