Near telomere-to-telomere genome assembly of the blackspot tuskfish (Choerodon schoenleinii).

Choerodon schoenleinii, commonly known as the blackspot tuskfish, widely recognized for its vibrant coloration, unique small black spot on the dorsal fin, and high value in both ornamental and culinary markets. Here, we report a high-quality near telomere-to-telomere (T2T) genome assembly of C. schoenleinii, generated using PacBio HiFi and Hi-C technologies. The assembly spans 865.99 Mb, achieving chromosome-level resolution with 24 chromosomes anchored. Notably, telomeres were identified at both ends of 23 chromosomes, with 14 being completely gapless and only 12 gaps detected across the remaining nine. A total of 24,524 protein-coding genes were annotated, with 96.25% assigned functional annotations. The assembly quality was validated with a BUSCO score of 99.80%. The gene annotation was further evaluated using OMArk, with 23,590 proteins (96.19%) consistent with the Clade Teleostei, highlighting the high-quality and taxonomic relevance of the gene set. This reference genome provides a valuable resource for advancing research in the genetics, evolutionary biology, conservation, and breeding of C. schoenleinii, a species currently listed as "Near Threatened" by the IUCN.