Sea cucumbers (Holothuroidea) are ecologically important organisms for their bioturbation and alkalinization activities of the seabed. These species are extensively fished as they are considered luxury food. Sea cucumbers are also relevant for biomedical studies and the production of bioactive compounds. A few initiatives are recently evaluating sea cucumbers as novel aquaculture species. The aim of this study was to provide morphological and genetic information useful for the identification of Holothuria polii, the white spot sea cucumber (a common species of the Mediterranean Sea). We generated the complete sequence of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome of this species and combined it with a detailed ossicle characterization of the sequenced specimen by scanning electron microscopic analysis. Ossicles (known also as sclerites) are anatomical features that can discriminate Holothuroidea species, including the closely related ones of the genus Holothuria. The complete mitochondrial genome was assembled, functionally annotated and then used to evaluate the phylogenetic relationship of H. polii against the other few Holothuroidea species for which the whole mtDNA was available. The 15,907 bp H. polii mtDNA sequence has the same gene order already reported for H. scabra, H. forskali and other species of the same class. Cox1 and 16S gene sequences were informative for species identification across the genus and could be used for the authentication of commercialized Holothuria spp. The mitochondrial genome sequence presented here provides the basis to a future analysis of the variability of H. polii populations in the Mediterranean region.

海参（Holothuroidea）是具有重要生态功能的生物，因其对海床具有生物扰动和碱化作用。这些种类被广泛捕捞，因为它们被认为是奢侈食品。海参也与生物医学研究和生物活性化合物的生产有关。最近有一些举措正在评估海参作为新型水产养殖物种。本研究的目的是要提供用于识别有用的形态学和遗传信息玉足polii，白斑海参（地中海的常见物种）。我们生成了该物种的线粒体DNA（mtDNA）基因组的完整序列，并将其与通过扫描电子显微镜分析对测序标本进行详细的听骨鉴定相结合。小骨（也称为巩膜石）是可以区分葫芦科物种的解剖特征，包括与葫芦科属密切相关的物种。组装完整的线粒体基因组，对其进行功能注释，然后将其用于评估poli幽门螺杆菌与其他可获得完整mtDNA的少数Holothuroidea物种的系统发育关系。在15,907 bp的H. polii的mtDNA序列已经报告了相同的基因顺序H. scabra，H. forskali和其他同类动物。Cox1和16S基因序列为该属的物种鉴定提供了信息，可用于鉴定商品化Holothuria spp。这里介绍的线粒体基因组序列为将来分析地中海地区波利斯嗜血杆菌种群的变异性提供了基础。