Abstract
In this study, we present the complete mitochondrial DNA sequences of Epinephelus areolatus for the first time, which is 16,893 bp in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and a putative control region. The overall base composition of the H-strand is 27.0% T, 28.0% C, 28.6% A, and 16.3% G. The CO1 gene is initiated by GTG codon and ATP6 gene is initiated by TTG codon. The tRNA-Ser2 cannot be folded into the typical cloverleaf secondary structure because its dihydrouridine arm is replaced by a simple loop. A long-tandem repeat motif (76 bp), repeated six times, is found in the control region.
Declaration of interest: This study was supported by the Guangxi Beibu Gulf Important Special Fund (Nos. 2010GXNSFE013004 and 2011GXNSFE018005). The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.