De novo transcriptome assembly of a pigmentation-variable population of cave snail Physella sp

Subterranean ecosystems are among the most widespread yet least explored environments on Earth. Species that are not obligate cave dwellers are especially understudied, due to the predominant research focus on obligate subterranean organisms. Although aquatic snails represent one of the most species-rich groups in groundwater, no genomic resources have been available for these taxa until now. To fill this gap, we generated a reference transcriptome for a cave-dwelling snail of the genus Physella. The Physella population from Fogelpole Cave, IL, USA, exhibits heteromorphic phenotypes, with individuals ranging from fully pigmented to completely lacking pigment. The reference transcriptome generated in this study shows high BUSCO scores, high mapping rates and robust overall quality metrics. These datasets provide a valuable resource for investigating molecular changes associated with the early stages of cave adaptation and the evolution of specialized cave traits, especially the loss of pigmentation.