We report here the ~670 Mb genome assembly of the Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer), a
tropical marine teleost. We used long-read sequencing augmented by transcriptomics, optical
and genetic mapping along with shared synteny from closely related fish species to
derive a chromosome-level assembly with a contig N50 size over 1 Mb and scaffold N50
size over 25 Mb that span ~90% of the genome. The population structure of L. calcarifer species complex was analyzed by re-sequencing 61 individuals representing various
regions across the species’ native range. SNP analyses identified high levels of genetic
diversity and confirmed earlier indications of a population stratification comprising three
clades with signs of admixture apparent in the South-East Asian population. The quality of
the Asian seabass genome assembly far exceeds that of any other fish species, and will
serve as a new standard for fish genomics.Web of Scienc