Chromosome-level genome assembly of the moon jellyfish Aurelia coerulea

Aurelia coerulea (moon jellyfish) is an early-diverging metazoan in the phylum Cnidaria, making it an important model for studying the evolutionary origins of nervous systems. The primary goal of this project was to generate a high-quality, chromosome-level genome assembly and comprehensive gene annotation for A. coerulea using long-read and short-read sequencing, together with Hi-C chromatin conformation capture. This genomic resource provides new opportunities to investigate the genetic basis of early neural evolution, developmental processes, and unique biological features of cnidarians. The data generated in this study will serve as a valuable foundation for comparative genomics and evolutionary studies across Metazoa, contributing to a deeper understanding of animal genome evolution and diversity.