Short Communication

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Mekong Giant Salmon Carp (Aaptosyax grypus): a tool to conserve an emblematic and elusive megafish

¹ Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l’Environnement, CRBE UMR 5300 UPS-CNRS-IRD-INP, Université Paul Sabatier-Toulouse III, 118 routes de Narbonne, CEDEX 4, 31062 Toulouse, France
² Department of Biology and Global Water Center, University of Nevada, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, USA
³ Faculty of Agriculture, Svay Rieng University, National Road No.1, Sangkat Chek, Svay Rieng City, Cambodia
⁴ Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute, Fisheries Administration, # 186, Preah Norodom Blvd., Sangkat Tonle Bassak, Khan Chamkar Mon, Phnom Penh 120101, Cambodia
⁵ Center of Excellence on Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences for Sustainability, Faculty of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Royal University of Agriculture, Sangkat Dangkor, Khan Dangkor, P.O. Box 2696, Phnom Penh 120501, Cambodia

^* Corresponding author: celine.condachou@univ-tlse3.fr

Received: 7 February 2025
Accepted: 29 April 2025

Abstract

The giant salmon carp is a Critically Endangered megafish from the Mekong River. Despite its emblematic species status, it is rarely observed, and less than 30 confirmed specimens have been recorded since the original species description in 1991. Here, we benefitted from the latest discovery to collect tissues for mitogenome sequencing. We provide the full mitogenome of Aaptosyax grypus, which is 16601 bp in length and codes for 13 genes. This mitogenome sequence will help resolve the phylogenetic placement of this emblematic species. It also provides the 12S gene reference sequence commonly used in environmental DNA (eDNA) studies and thus opens opportunities for the detection of this elusive species using eDNA, making it possible to investigate the spatial distribution of the species and develop strategies to conserve this Critically Endangered megafish.