The complete mitochondrial genome and phylogenetic analysis of Lateolabrax maculatus (Perciformes, Moronidae).

The complete mitogenome of Lateolabrax maculatus was determined through high-throughput DNA sequencing technology. The circular mtDNA molecule was 16 723 bp in size and comprised 37 genes and two non-coding regions, with the gene arrangement and content identical to other typical vertebrate mitogenomes. The identity analysis revealed that the mitogenome sequence of L. maculatus shared the highest identity with that of L. japonicus (91.3%) among 12 species. The neighbor-joining tree indicated that 13 species clustered into three distinct clades strongly supported. Within Moronidae clade, L. maculatus first clustered together with L. japonicus, and then gathered with two Dicentrarchus species and Morone saxatilis. Finally, Moronidae clade grouped with Percichthyidae clade and Serranidae clade. This finding agreed with the opinion classifying Lateolabrax into the family Moronidae but not Serranidae or its own family, Lateolabracidae. These results provided useful molecular information for phylogenetic relationships and further studies on the population genetic of L. maculatus.