In this study, morphology observation and illumina sequencing were performed on two different coloration skins of crimson snapper (Lutjanus erythropterus), the black zone and the red zone. Three types of chromatophores, melanophores, iridophores and xanthophores, were organized in the skins. The main differences between the two colorations were in the amount and distribution of the three chromatophores. After comparing the two transcriptomes, 9200 unigenes with significantly different expressions (ratio change ≥ 2 and q-value ≤ 0.05) were found, of which 5972 were up-regulated in black skin and 3228 were up-regulated in red skin. Through the function annotation, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of the differentially transcribed genes, we excavated a number of uncharacterized candidate pigment genes as well as found the conserved genes affecting pigmentation in crimson snapper. The patterns of expression of 14 pigment genes were confirmed by the Quantitative real-time PCR analysis between the two color skins. Overall, this study shows a global survey of the morphological characters and transcriptome analysis of the different coloration skins in crimson snapper, and provides valuable cellular and genetic information to uncover the mechanism of the formation of pigment patterns in snappers.

The Pacific whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei, synonym Lipopenaeus vannamei) is an important aquaculture species, and its breeding improvement relies heavily on high-quality genomic resources. Here, we sequenced the genome of the Pacific whiteleg shrimp using PacBio and Hi-C technologies, resulting in a 1.7 Gb genome assembly with a Contig N50 of 57.65Kb and a Scaffold N50 of 605Kb.BUSCO analysis indicated that our genome assembly achieved a gene coverage of 84.6%, a figure considered high among crustacean reference genomes. In total, 907,237,377 bp of repetitive sequences (accounting for 50.48% of the assembled genome) and 22,923 protein-coding genes were identified. Utilizing Hi-C technology, we anchored 14,604 contigs onto 44 chromosomes, yielding a chromosome-level genome assembly with a contig N50 of 42,894,961 bp. In summary, our high-quality genome assembly provides valuable reference genomic resources for the improvement and breeding of elite cultivars of the Pacific whiteleg shrimp.

Mangroves, as a salt-tolerant evergreen broad-leaved vegetation ecosystem, are widely distributed along the coastlines of tropical and subtropical regions. In the field of ecology, scholars generally agree that climatic drivers, particularly temperature and precipitation patterns, play a crucial role in regulating the global distribution, structure, and functions of mangroves. However, there are still significant challenges in research exploring the relationship between climate and mangrove distribution. This study focused on two dominant mangrove species in the northern margin of the South China Sea: Kandelia obovata and Avicennia marina. By compiling reported data, utilizing database information, and integrating our field observations, we employed species distribution models to simulate the distribution areas of these two species and their habitat changes under global warming scenarios. Our results indicate that bio18 serves as the primary climatic factor shaping their distribution patterns. Specifically, K. obovata is primarily distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, while A. Marina exhibits a much broader distribution range, encompassing over 40 times the area of K. obovata. The niche overlap between these two species is relatively low, and global warming is further promoting the separation of their niches. Notably, the continued warming of the climate in the future is not expected to pose a significant threat to K. obovata. However, it significantly increases the risk of habitat loss for A. marina. This study underscores the urgent need to implement conservation measures for mangrove ecosystems, with particular priority given to those species that are currently experiencing or are vulnerable to habitat loss.

Lutjanus erythropterus (Bloch, 1790), a Perciforme from the Lutjanidae family, is a commercially important species due to its taste and abundance. Despite the increase in genome resources in recent years, few genome assemblies are available within this fish family for comparative and functional studies. In this study, we determined the chromosomal genome of Crimson snapper using high-throughput stLFR sequencing technology and Hi-C data. The final assembly size was 973.04 Mb with contig and scaffold N50 values of 1.51 Mb and 40.65 Mb respectively. We successfully scaffolded 95.84% of the genome sequence onto 24 chromosomes ranging in length from 19.37 Mb to 49.48 Mb. A total of 22,663 genes and 13,877 gene families were identified in the genome with 29 gene families being L. erythropterus specific. Phylogenetic analysis using single-copy gene families showed that L. erythropterus and Larimichthys crocea had the closest genetic relationship with a divergence time of approximately 47.7 Mya. This new genomic resource will facilitate comparative genomics studies as well as genetic breeding programs for L.erythropterus.

This study presents the first complete mitochondrial genome characterization of Elops machnata (Teleostei: Elopiformes: Elopidae), a basal teleost lineage critical for understanding early actinopterygian evolution. The assembled mitogenome, deposited under GenBank accession number PV294982, spans 16,712 bp and exhibits the canonical vertebrate mitochondrial gene organization, comprising 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and a control region. Base composition analysis revealed 22.71% A, 17.36% C, 29.82% T, and 30.11% G, with a slight AT bias (A + T = 52.53%). Codon usage analysis of the 13 protein-coding genes identified CUA (L), CGA (R), GCC (A), and GGA (G) as the most frequent codons, with a pronounced preference for adenine at the third codon position. Amino acid composition analysis across 23 Elopomorpha species revealed consistently high leucine contents, and tRNA secondary structure prediction showed 21 tRNAs forming typical cloverleaf structures, except for trnS1(gct), which lacks the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm. Phylogenetic reconstruction using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods, based on concatenated mitochondrial protein-coding genes from 23 Elopomorpha species, placed E. machnata in a well-supported clade with Elops hawaiensis, confirming their close evolutionary relationship. This study not only provides essential genomic resources for E. machnata but also resolves key gaps in the mitochondrial genome and improves phylogenetic understanding of Elopomorpha.

BPAF (Bisphenol AF), one of the primary substitutes for BPA (Bisphenol A), is widely used in the production of plastics, optical fibers, and other materials. During the use of these products, BPAF inevitably enters the environment and exerts toxic effects on animal growth, development, reproduction, immunity, neurology, and genetics. This study employed marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) as the experimental model to evaluate the toxicological impacts of BPAF on early development. Embryos were exposed to four BPAF concentrations (0, 1 μg/L, 10 μg/L, and 100 μg/L) for 14 days (embryonic to larval stages), followed by phenotypic measurements, behavioral analysis, and gene expression detection. The results demonstrated that BPAF exposure induced developmental malformations and reduced survival rates in marine medaka embryos, with embryo survival negatively correlated with BPAF concentrations. Additionally, BPAF significantly decreased embryonic heart rates, and the 100 μg/L BPAF group exhibited prolonged embryo hatching time and reduced hatching success. In newly hatched larvae, BPAF exposure led to decreased body length, reduced heart rates, and significant suppression of swimming activity, characterized by increased resting time and reduced swimming distance. BPAF exposure altered the expression levels of genes associated with cardiovascular function (e.g., tbx2b, arnt2), the HPT axis (e.g., tg, dio3a, trh, trhr2, tpo), and neurodevelopment (e.g., ache, elavl3, gfap) in the medaka larvae. These transcriptional perturbations are proposed as potential molecular mechanisms underlying the observed phenotypic effects, including reduced heart rates and suppressed swimming behavior in the study. Molecularly, BPAF exposure significantly disrupted the expression of genes related to the cardiovascular system, HPT axis, and nervous system.