Chromosome-level genome assembly of Cheilinus chlorourus (Bloch, 1791) (Perciformes: Labridae)

In the classification of marine fish, the Labridae family ranks second in terms of species diversity and plays a vital role in coral reef ecosystems, comprising over 600 species across 82 genera. Despite its significance for ecological and evolutionary studies, genomic research on this group has lagged, resulting in a shortage of data, particularly regarding high-quality chromosome-level genome assemblies. To address this gap, this study focused on Cheilinus chlorourus from the Labridae family and successfully achieved a chromosome-level genome assembly. By integrating Illumina, PacBio, and Hi-C sequencing data, we assembled a genome measuring 940.36 Mb, with 926.86 Mb (98.56%) of the gene assembly organized into 21 chromosomes. A total of 29,213 protein-coding genes (PCGs) were identified, and 79.93% of these genes were functionally annotated. With this high-quality genome assembly, future investigations into the functional genomics and ecology of C. chlorourus will have a solid scientific foundation.