A Chromosome Scale Genome Assembly for the Australian blue mussel Mytilus planulatus

A chromosome-scale reference genome for Mytilus planulatus was built as 14 chromosomes with over 51,000 annotated protein-coding genes per haplotype.

• Why it matters: Resolving Southern Hemisphere colonisation history and distinguishing native Mytilus planulatus from invasive Mytilus galloprovincialis requires genomic resolution that prior markers lacked.
• What they did: The authors generated a chromosome-scale assembly and annotated protein-coding genes, then compared genome structure with Mytilus galloprovincialis and analyzed resequenced individuals using SNPs plus gene presence–absence variation.
• The result: They found extensive structural variation and widespread hemizygosity with largely conserved chromosomal organization, and population analyses confirmed inferred population structure, enabling improved genome evolution, adaptation, and population genomics studies in Mytilus.

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