Complete mitochondrial genome of the Caribbean reef shark, Carcharhinus perezi (Carcharhinformes: Carcharhinidae)

The Caribbean reef shark Carcharhinus perezi is a medium to large-bodied coastal and reef-associated predator found throughout the subtropical and tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, although its populations are increasingly threatened by overfishing. We describe the first mitochondrial genome sequence for this species, using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of an individual from The Bahamas. We report the mitogenome sequence of the Caribbean reef shark to be 16,709 bp and composed two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, two non-coding genes; the control region and the origin of light-strand replication. We discuss the implications of this new information on future monitoring efforts and conservation measures such as marine protected areas, and urge future mitochondrial studies of sharks to expand their reach into the Atlantic Ocean.