Whole-Genome sequencing of Holothuria polii. Whole-Genome sequencing of Holothuria polii

Sea cucumbers (Holothuroidea) are ecologically important organisms for their bioturbation and alkalinization activities of the seabed. They are also important as luxury food and for the production of bioactive compounds and for these reasons they are extensively fished. A few initiatives are also evaluating sea cucumbers as novel species for cultivation in aquaculture systems. In this study we generated sequence information for Holothuria polii, a common sea cucumber species of the Mediterranean Sea, for which no detailed genomic studies have been carried out so far. Whole genome sequence information was produced from an individual whose species identity was obtained by scanning electron microscope analysis of sclerites, which are anatomical features that can discriminate closely related species of the genus Holothuria.