Kyall Zenger

1 Introduction Despite rapid advancements in genomic technologies, the development of species-specific resources for non-model wildlife species has progressed more slowly, largely reflecting the pace at which conservation priorities have come to incorporate genomic insights.

A variety of phylogenetically distant taxa, including flatworms, mollusks, amphibians, and fishes, use the deadly neurotoxin tetrodotoxin (TTX) for predation and defense 1 . A well-known example is the blue-lined octopus, Hapalochlaena fasciata (Hoyle, 1886), which uses symbiotic bacteria to sequester TTX in its posterior salivary glands (PSG) 2 . When it bites, the TTX-laden saliva immobilizes large prey and has caused lethal envenomation in a few incidents involving humans 3 .