Scleractinian corals of the genus Porites are found across a wide geographical range along the tropical seas. Some species of the genus such as Porites rus are important reef builders in coral reef ecosystems and display a remarkable stress tolerance. Despite their physiological particularities and ecological importance, there is a scarcity of molecular data for members of this genus. Here, we report the first complete mitochondrial genome of Porites rus (Genbank accession number LN864762) which is 18 647 bp in size. It has the typical coral mitochondrial gene arrangement, consisting of 14 protein-coding genes, with a GC content of 36.2%, 12 tRNAs and two rRNAs. The P. rus mitochondrial genome displays two groups: 1 intron in cox1 and nad5 genes. Phylogenetic analyses support the monophyly of the genus Porites. The complete mitochondrial genome will be helpful for addressing questions regarding mitochondrial gene evolution.
Keywords: GenDB; mitochondrial genome; scleractinian coral; ultrafast sequencing.