The complete mitochondrial genome of Androctonus mauritanicus (Arachnida: Scorpiones)
Abstract
Androctonus mauritanicus is a significant species in the realm of venomous arthropods. Its native habitat in North Africa has led to its recognition as a large scorpion with highly potent venom, resulting in a critical number of fatalities among humans annually. The specimen used in this study was collected in Marrakech, Morocco, in 2019. To understand its genetic diversity, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated the mitochondrial genome of A. mauritanicus and compared it with those of other scorpions. The assembled mitochondrial genome resulted in 14886 base pairs of circular DNA with 32.37% GC content. Genome annotation predicted 13 protein-coding genes, 21 transfer RNAs (with a notable absence of tRNA-Asp), and 2 ribosomal RNA genes. The nucleotide composition exhibits an AT bias of 67.7%, with heterogeneity across codon positions. Phylogenetic analysis consistently shows A. mauritanicus is closely related to Buthus occitanus and Androctonus australis, with an evolutionary distance of 0.178 to A. australis. Selection pressure analysis using codon-based Z-tests indicates significant purifying selection across most mitochondrial protein-coding genes, with diminishing significance in more distantly related species, while positive selection was not statistically significant. This study improves our knowledge of scorpion biology, ecology and evolution and would further our ability to explore practical applications for medicine and species conservation.
EL GHOUBALI, D., PIRRO, S., IDRISSI AZAMI, A., NEJJARI, C., AL IDRISSI, N., RFAKI, A., ELJAOUDI, R., BELYAMANI, L., AMZAZI, S., HAMDI, S., & GHAZAL, H. (2025). The complete mitochondrial genome of Androctonus mauritanicus (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Ecological Genetics and Genomics, 100429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egg.2025.100429