Comparative mitochondrial genome analysis of Sesarmidae and its phylogenetic implications

Here, we sequenced the complete mitogenome of Parasesarma eumolpe (Brachyura: Grapsoidea: Sesarmidae) for the first time. The characteristics of this newly sequenced mitogenome were described and compared with other Sesarmidae species. The 15 646-bp mitogenome contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and an A-T rich region. All of the PCGs are initiated by the start codon ATN and terminated by the standard TAN codon or an incomplete T. The pairwise Ka/Ks ratio analysis shows that all 13 PCGs are under purifying selection, whereas the ATP8 gene is an outlier, with pairwise comparison values ranging from neutral selection (0.000) to positive selection (1.039). The gene arrangement of P. eumolpe compared with ancestral Decapoda shows the translocation of two tRNAs ( tRNA-His and tRNA-Gln ), which is identical to other Sesarmidae species. Phylogenetic analyses show that all Sesarmidae species are placed into one group, and the polyphyly of Eriphioidea, Ocypodoidea, and Grapsoidea is well supported. The relationship between gaps in the QIM region and the phylogeny of Sesarmidae is analyzed. It is obvious that both the G5 (the gap between Q and I ) and G6 (the gap between I and M ) decrease progressively with the evolution process. These results will help to better understand the genomic evolution within Sesarmidae and provide insights into the phylogeny of Brachyura.