The complete nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial genome for the Japane
se anchovy Engraulis japonicus (Teleostei: Clupeiformes) was determined. Th
e entire genome was purified by gene amplification using the long polymeras
e chain reaction (PCR) technique, and products were subsequently used as te
mplates for PCR with 56 fish-versatile primers that amplify contiguous, ove
rlapping segments of the entire genome. Direct sequencing of the PCR produc
ts demonstrated that the genome (16 675 base pairs [bp]) contained the same
37 mitochondrial genes (two ribosomal RNA, 22 transfer RNA and 13 protein-
coding genes) as those found in other vertebrates, with the gene order bein
g identical to that in typical vertebrates. A major non-coding region betwe
en the tRNA(Pro) and tRNA(Phe) genes (1024 bp) was considered to be the con
trol (D-loop) region, as it has several conservative blocks characteristic
to this region.