Genome assembly of the Pakistani river buffalo Azikheli breed

The Azikheli buffalo (<i>Bubalus bubalis</i> Azikheli), indigenous to the Swat Valley, is a medium-sized riverine breed distinguished by its compact physique, sickle-shaped horns, and skin coloration that can be albino or reddish-brown, which often darkens to a light black in subtropical regions such as Peshawar. The horns are prominent, thick, and curve upward, resembling those of Mediterranean buffaloes, with males averaging 37 cm in length and females 41 cm. This breed demonstrates significant adaptability to rugged landscapes, including steep hills, despite its weight ranging from 350 to 450 kg. Its daily milk production varies from 5 to 6 liters, with some exceptional individuals yielding as much as 18 liters. Reproduction mainly occurs through natural mating, with calving intervals typically averaging between 1.5 and 1.8 years. (adapted from en.engormix.com and Khan et al., 2009)<br>We present a publicly available haplotype-resolved contig-level genome assembly of the Azikheli buffalo, with 98.2 Gb (~34 fold coverage) of sequence data. The complete assembly spans 2.88 Gb (hap1) / 2.97 Gb (hap2), with contig N50 of 60 Mb (hap1) / 70 Mb (hap2). The BUSCO analysis indicates a completeness of 97.7% (hap1) / 98.0% (hap2).