Genome data of the African bonytongue, Heterotis niloticus

The African arowana or Nile arowana (Heterotis niloticus) is a species of bonytongue. It is a long-bodied fish with large scales, long dorsal and anal fins set far back on the body, and a rounded caudal fin. Its height is 3.5 to 5.0 times standard length. It has been reported to reach up to 1 m (3.3 ft) long and weigh up to 10.2 kg (22 lb). <br>The fish is gray, brown, or bronze in color. Coloration is uniform in adults, but juveniles often have dark longitudinal bands. African arowanas have air-breathing organs on its branchiae, enabling them to survive in oxygen-depleted water. A suprabranchial organ allows it to concentrate small planktonic food particles and also has a sensory function. <br>This species is widespread throughout Africa, where it is native to all the watersheds in Sahelo-Sudanese region, Senegal, and Gambia, as well as parts of eastern Africa. This range includes the basins of the Corubal, Volta, Oueme, Niger, Benoue, and Nile Rivers, as well as those of Lake Chad and Lake Turkana. It has been successfully introduced to Cote d'Ivoire, the Cross River in Nigeria, the Sanaga and Nyong Rivers in Cameroon, and the Ogooue River in Gabon, as well as the lower and middle Congo River basin, including Ubangui and Kasai Rivers. It has also been introduced in Madagascar. In some cases, introduction is reported to have had a negative impact on the local ecology. <br>African arowana is used locally as a food and has been collected in the past for the aquarium trade, but behavior of it in captivity. It is not feral or aggressive like its relatives. Here we present the genome, which has an estimated genome size of 743.4Mb, scaffold N50 9,615,753, contig N50 2,307,881