Complete mitochondrial genome and phylogenetic implications of <i>Chaunocephalus ferox</i> (Digenea: Echinostomatidae), a critical pathogen for Oriental Stork conservation.

ABSTRACT: Chaunocephalus ferox is an intestinal trematode infecting storks and is increasingly recognized as a potential threat to the conservation of the Oriental Stork (Ciconia boyciana). However, its evolutionary history remains poorly understood. In this study, we assembled and annotated the first complete mitochondrial genome of C. ferox using the MITOS2 and GeSeq platforms. The circular genome spans 17,482 bp and encodes 12 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, and 2 rRNAs, with several intergenic overlaps and absence of the atp8 gene. Phylogenetic analyses based on 12 mitochondrial protein-coding genes from 57 trematode species were conducted using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods. While morphological characteristics support its classification within Ech

SUBMITTER: Zhou M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12747195 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature