A chromosome-level reference genome assembly of the giant pangasius (Pangasius sanitwongsei)

The giant pangasius (Pangasius sanitwongsei) is a critically endangered freshwater species with considerable ecological and economic significance in Southeast Asia and southern China. However, the lack of a high-quality reference genome has limited studies on its genetic adaptation and conservation strategies. Here, we present a chromosome-scale genome assembly of P. sanitwongsei, generated using PacBio HiFi long-read sequencing and Hi-C chromatin conformation capture. The final assembly spans 808.85 Mb, with a contig N50 of 18.70 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 28.10 Mb, achieving a BUSCO gene completeness of 99.15%. A total of 23,469 protein-coding genes were annotated, and 96.97% of the genes were functionally characterized. This high-quality genomic resource provides crucial insights into the adaptive evolution of Pangasiidae catfishes and offers a valuable foundation for conservation genomics, adaptive evolution, population genetics, and sustainable aquaculture development.