Draft genomes from diverse jellyfish (Cnidaria, Acraspeda) lineages: Calvadosia cruxmelitensis (Staurozoa) and Cassiopea xamachana (Scyphozoa)

The Anthozoa, Endocnidozoa, and Medusozoa comprise the three major clades of the phylum Cnidaria. The Medusozoa consists of 4 clades, the Hydrozoa, Staurozoa, Cubozoa, and Scyphozoa, the latter three of which are grouped under the clade Acraspeda. The Medusozoa are highly diverse in morphology and life histories, resulting in much contention regarding the relationship of these lineages. Of particular interest is the presence of a medusa life history stage and the genetic mechanism controlling the development of this stage. However, genomes are currently available only for the Hydrozoa. Availability of genomes for the lineages within Acraspeda will provide a useful resource for future research. Here we present two new draft genomes of Calvadosia cruxmelitensis (Staurozoa) and Cassiopea xamachana (Scyphozoa) and provide an overview of an Orthogroup analysis for orthologs specific to each lineage as well as the venom repertoire found within each genome. These data will provide valuable insight into the genetics behind these diverse lineages and life history evolution.