Chromosome-scale genome assembly of brown-spotted flathead Platycephalus sp.1 provides insights into demersal adaptation in flathead fish

Flatheads are valuable commercial fish species endemic to the Indo-West Pacific. Due to their economic value and unique biological traits, such as metamorphosis and camouflage, they serve as ideal marine organisms for studies on demersal adaptation and evolution. The brown-spotted flathead （Platycephalus sp.1） is the most widely distributed in the northwestern Pacific. Despite the lack of a valid scientific name, it has been long recognized and exploited in the marine fisheries of China, Japan, and Korea. In the current study,