The complete mitogenome of Leptestheria brevirostris Barnard, 1924, a rock pool clam shrimp (Branchiopoda: Spinicaudata) from Central District, Botswana

Abstract

Spinicaudatan clam shrimp are a widespread and diverse group of branchiopod crustaceans, yet few mitochondrial genomes have been published for this taxonomic group. Here, we present the mitogenome of Leptestheria brevirostris from a rock pool ecosystem in Botswana. Massively parallel sequencing of a single specimen facilitated the reconstruction of the species’ 15,579 bp circularized mitogenome. The reconstructed phylogenetic tree confirms that L. brevirostris forms a monophyletic group with other diplostracan branchiopods, and that these are the sister taxon to Notostraca. The mitogenome reconstructed here is the first to be reported from a leptestherid clam shrimp.