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Group:
Reptile
Estimated genome size:
17 cm maximum (total body length).
Size:
17 cm maximum (total body length).
Distribution:
It is found in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Western Cape and Northern Cape
provinces of South Africa.
PromethION Sequencing Report:
Output:
89.36 Gigabases
Approximate N50:
6.51 kilobases
Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:
Genome Length:
4.53 Gigabases
BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):
99.6% [Single: 50.6%, Duplicated: 49%]
Importance:
The greater padloper tortoise is endemic to South Africa and contributes to ecosystem stability in the Karoo. As the largest species in the genus Homopus, it is of scientific interest for studies of limb development, as it is one of only two Homopus species with four digits on each foot.
Sample Contributor contact details:
Zhongning Zhao
University of the Free State
Group:
Echinoderm
Estimated genome size:
Size:
60mm
Distribution:
Parechinus angulosus is found along the South African coast from the Namibian border to southern Kwa-Zulu Natal.
PromethION Sequencing Report:
Output:
68.84 Gigabases
Approximate N50:
4.64 kilobases
Assembly N50:
67.65 kilobases
Contig number:
59 755
Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:
Assembler used:
Flye
Genome Length:
1.2 Gigabases
BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):
96.5% [S: 41.6%, D: 54.9%]
BUSCO database:
eukaryota
Parechinus angulosus
Cape urchin
Importance:
Parechinus angulosus, the Cape urchin, plays a critical ecological role along South Africa's rocky shores, influencing algal distribution and maintaining community balance through its grazing activities. It is a key prey species for a variety of predators, including the endangered West Coast rock lobster (Jasus lalandii), thus supporting broader food web dynamics. While not a major fishery species itself, it contributes to ecosystem services that sustain economically important coastal fisheries.
Sample Contributor contact details:
Suzanne Redelinghuys
SAIAB and Rhodes University
Date Published:
2026-04-23
Photo credit:
© Clinton I. Green.
Flora
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