The first complete mitochondrial genome of Melicertus from M. latisulcatus (Decapoda: Penaeidae)

The western king prawn, Melicertus latisulcatus, is a tropical species of ‘grooved shrimps’, which has long adrostral groove along almost the entire dorsal carapace in Penaeidae family. However, the taxonomic revision studies of Penaeidae have been one of the most controversial issues in recent years. In this study, we report the first complete mitochondrial genome of Melicertus from M. latisulcatus. The mitogenome has 15,971 base pairs (64.7% A + T content) and made up of total of 37 genes (13 protein coding, 22 transfer RNAs, and 2 ribosomal RNAs), and a control region. This study was the first available complete mitogenomes of Melicertus and will provide useful genetic information for future phylogenetic and taxonomic classification of Penaeidae.