Comprehensive transcriptome data for endemic Schizothoracinae fish in the Tibetan Plateau

Area of Science:

• Ichthyology
• Genomics
• Evolutionary Biology

Background:

• Schizothoracinae fishes are endemic to the Tibetan Plateau, serving as key models for studying highland adaptation and speciation.
• Existing transcriptome data for highland fishes is limited, with a notable gap in Schizothoracinae information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To generate comprehensive de novo transcriptome data for 14 representative Schizothoracinae species.
• To provide a valuable genomic resource for investigating environmental adaptation and speciation in Tibetan Plateau fishes.

Main Methods:

• Sequencing and de novo assembly of transcriptomes from 183 Schizothoracinae samples.
• Obtaining 76,602–154,860 unigenes per species with N50 lengths of 1,564–2,143 bp.
• Functional annotation of over half of the assembled unigenes using public databases.

Main Results:

• Acquisition of approximately 1,363 Gb of transcriptome clean data.
• Successful assembly of a large number of unigenes across 14 Schizothoracinae species.
• Identification of diverse ecological distributions, phenotypes, and feeding habits within the studied Schizothoracinae.

Conclusions:

• The generated transcriptome data represents a significant resource for Schizothoracinae research.
• This data will facilitate deeper insights into the mechanisms of highland adaptation and speciation in this unique fish group.
• The findings support the ecological and evolutionary distinctiveness of Schizothoracinae in the Tibetan Plateau environment.