Morphometric and meristic variations of Java Barb (Barbonymus gonionotus) in six districts of Aceh Province, Indonesia

Morphometric and meristic characteristics are crucial for conservation management. Therefore, this research aims to analyse the characterization of morphometric and meristic variations of Java barb ( Barbonymus gonionotus ). A total of sixty fish were captured from six districts in Aceh Province. The results showed p-values < 0.05 for all measured morphometric traits, except for middle tail fin length (MTFL). The meristic characters for the number of hard rays did not vary significantly, but the number of soft rays showed slight differences, although not very substantial. The main differentiating factor for morphometric measurements was body weight (BW), while for the meristic was in the soft rays of the pectoral fin (SRP) (p < 0.05). According to cluster analysis, the western and eastern parts of Aceh Province were in a branch, the central part was separate, and the end acted as an intermediary.