Complete mitogenome sequence of Caryophyllaeus brachycollis (Cestoda: Caryophyllidae) from China: Characterization and phylogenetic analyses of Caryophyllidea.

Caryophyllaeus brachycollis mainly parasitizes the intestines of globally distributed freshwater fishes, and infection causes significant economic losses to the aquaculture industry. However, data on the molecular epidemiology, population genetics, and systematics of C. brachycollis are scarce. In this study, we sequenced the complete mitogenome of C. brachycollis isolated from Beijing, China. This circular mitogenome comprised 14,273 bp, which was 231 bp shorter than that of C. brachycollis isolated from Wuhan, China. The mitogenome contained 12 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 2 noncoding regions. Bayesian inference revealed that C. brachycollis belonged to the family Caryophyllaeidae. The taxonomic status of C. brachycollis is controversial when based solely on morphological features. A comparative analysis of the mitogenome sequence obtained in this study revealed novel molecular markers for the accurate ascertainment of the phylogenetic position of this parasite.