Phylomitogenomics reconfirm the phylogenetic position of the genus Metaplax inferred from the two grapsid crabs (Decapoda: Brachyura: Grapsoidea).

Abstract

Two new complete mitogenomes of the grapsids, Metaplax longipes Stimpson, 1858 and Nanosesarma minutum (De Man, 1887) were sequenced using next-generation sequencing (NGS). By analyzing a combination of 75 Brachyura taxa, our phylomitogenomic inferences suggested that Metaplax crab seperated earlier from the sesarmid crabs and closely related to the varunids with respect to Nanosesarma crab. It reconfirmed that the Metaplax should be removed from the Sesarmidae and assinged to the Varunidae. Additional mitogenomic comparisons including gene rearrangement and genomic organization were conducted among the 33 taxa of Grapsoidea and Ocypodoidea, and a shared rearrangement pattern between Metaplax longipes and the varunids were recovered, which also strongly supported the inference for the phylogenetic position of the Metaplax.