<b>Telomere-to-telomere genome assembly </b><b>of </b><b>blackchin tilapia (</b><b><i>Sarotherodon melanotheron</i></b><b>)</b>

Here, we reported the first telomere-to-telomere genome in blackchin tilapia (Sarotherodon melanotheron), a 996.95 Mb assembly (scaffold N50: 42.04 Mb) anchored to 22 chromosomes, which was generated by integrating short reads, PacBio HiFi long reads, ONT ultra-long reads, and Hi-C data. 391.75 Mb repeating elements and 29,328 protein-coding genes were identified in the genome assembly. This genome assembly of Sarotherodon melanotheron provides significant insights into its biological traits, genetic diversity, and adaptive responses to environmental pressures. Moreover, it lays the groundwork for future genetic improvements in the aquaculture of this species.