Mitogenomics of lobster Panulirus polyphagus

This study characterized the mitogenomes of three conspecifics of Panulirus polyphagus from the Indian Ocean, filling the genetic research gap. Comparative mitogenomic analyses of these lineages (L) at the species and family levels, evolutionary relationships, and heterogeneity of sequence divergence within Decapoda, as well as their divergence time were estimated. Mitogenomes ranged from 15685 to 15705 bp, following the typical pancrustacean pattern. Of the three, L1 and L2 were predominant lineages in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, while L2.a was less common and endemic in the latter. It was observed that the Coral Triangle region may have a minor lineage L1.a. All PCGs showed purifying selection across species and family levels. The greatest genetic distance (K2P) between the lineages is noted at 9%, specifically between L1.a and L2.a. P. polyphagus seems to have diverged during the Miocene with more diversification events during the Pliocene.