A chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation of the marbled rockfish (Sebastiscus marmoratus)

Sebastiscus marmoratus is an ecologically and commercially important benthic fish widely distributed in the coastal waters of the Northwest Pacific. Overfishing and habitat degradation have led to population declines, but the lack of a high-quality reference genome has limited genetic and evolutionary studies in this species. Here, we present a chromosome-level genome assembly of S. marmoratus generated using DNBSEQ short reads, PacBio HiFi long reads, and Hi-C data. The assembly spans 810.04 Mb, with a contig and scaffold N50 of 34.84 Mb, anchored into 24 chromosomes and 16 scaffolds with 99.33% of sequences assigned. Repetitive elements comprise 38.25% of the genome, and 23,493 protein-coding genes were predicted, of which 97.77% were functionally annotated. Non-coding RNAs, including miRNAs, tRNAs, rRNAs, and snRNAs, were also identified. Genome synteny analysis revealed a high degree of collinearity with Sebastes schlegelii, supporting assembly accuracy. This chromosome-level genome provides a comprehensive resource for investigating the genetics, adaptation, and evolutionary history of S. marmoratus and related Scorpaenidae species.