A Reference Genome Assembly for the Pink Volcano Barnacle, Tetraclita Rubescens, Nilsson-Cantell, 1931

Abstract

The pink volcano barnacle, Tetraclita rubescens, has experienced a poleward range expansion along the eastern Pacific coastline amidst recent climate changes, likely facilitated by high gene flow and high genetic diversity in a large population. A high-quality reference genome provides the next step to investigate these patterns in more detail. We present a highly contiguous, chromosome-level genome assembly for T. rubescens using long-read sequencing and short-read proximity ligation data. The genome assembly is 2.44 Gb, contains 92.5% complete ortholog genes based on the known Arthropoda gene list, the largest N50 compared to other high-quality barnacle genomes (~107 Mb), and a low L50 score (10 scaffolds). With this chromosome-level assembly, we will be better able to contrast the roles of drift, migration, and selection in population and spatial expansion dynamics, the roles of dispersal and adaptation within the range, and to investigate the genomic diversity of the species, including the roles of transposable elements in the genome. T. rubescens is an iconic barnacle on central and southern Californian rocky intertidal shores, and understanding its dynamics can help inform and support the conservation of intertidal communities along the northeastern Pacific coastline.

Keywords: California conservation genomics project (ccgp); Cirripedia; climate change; ecological genomics; range expansion; seascape genomics.