Microscopic ossicle analyses and the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Holothuria (Roweothuria) polii (Echinodermata; Holothuroidea) provide new information to support the phylogenetic positioning of this sea cucumber species

Sea cucumbers (Holothuroidea) are ecologically important organisms for their bioturbation and alkalinization activities of the seabed. These species are extensively fished as they are considered luxury food. Sea cucumbers are also relevant for biomedical studies and the production of bioactive compounds. A few initiatives are recently evaluating sea cucumbers as novel aquaculture species. The aim of this study was to provide morphological and genetic information useful for the identification of Holothuria polii, the white spot sea cucumber (a common species of the Mediterranean Sea). We generated the complete sequence of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome of this species and combined it with a detailed ossicle characterization of the sequenced specimen by scanning electron microscopic analysis. Ossicles (known also as sclerites) are anatomical features that can discriminate Holothuroidea species, including the closely related ones of the genus Holothuria. The complete mitochondrial genome was assembled, functionally annotated and then used to evaluate the phylogenetic relationship of H. polii against the other few Holothuroidea species for which the whole mtDNA was available. The 15,907 bp H. polii mtDNA sequence has the same gene order already reported for H. scabra, H. forskali and other species of the same class. Cox1 and 16S gene sequences were informative for species identification across the genus and could be used for the authentication of commercialized Holothuria spp. The mitochondrial genome sequence presented here provides the basis to a future analysis of the variability of H. polii populations in the Mediterranean region.