Morphometric-meristic characters and reproductive biology of seluang fish (Rasbora sumatrana, Bleeker 1852) from the Ogan River, South Sumatra, Indonesia

<p>The seluang fish (<em>Rasbora sumatrana</em>, Bleeker 1852) is one of Indonesia’s native freshwater fish species with high economic value and potential for aquaculture. The fish is consumed by the local community, both fresh and in processed form. The objective of this study was to analyze the morphometric and meristic characteristics, as well as certain aspects of the reproductive biology, of both male and female seluang fish. The specimens were obtained from the Ogan River in Tanjung Raja, Ogan Ilir Regency. A total of 150 fish samples were utilized for the study. The sample comprised 99 males with a total length of 3.5–7.3 cm and a total weight of 0.65–2.79 g, and 51 females with a total length of 1.5–6.7 cm and a total weight of 0.44–4 g. A total of 10 morphometric characteristics, 5 meristic characteristics, and 7 reproductive aspects were subjected to analysis. The results indicated that there were differences in the morphometric characteristics between the male and female fish, specifically in terms of head width, body depth, caudal fin length, dorsal fin length, and pre-dorsal length. No significant differences were observed in the meristic characteristics between the male and female specimens. The gonadosomatic index of males ranged from 0.22 to 23.63, while that of females ranged from 0.70 to 29.72. The hepatosomatic index of males ranged from 0.07 to 4.49, while that of females ranged from 0.04 to 1.66. The observed sex ratio was 0.786:1. The fecundity of the specimens ranged from 202 to 2915 eggs, with an egg diameter that varied between 0.8 and 1.12 mm. The gonadal maturation stage for both males and females was identified as II-V. The water quality at the sampling location was found to be 24.8–28.5 ℃, with a pH range of 5.5–6.4 and a dissolved oxygen concentration of 4.9–6.2 mg/L. In conclusion, there are differences in the morphometric characteristics between male and female fish, but no differences in the meristic characteristics. The gonadosomatic index and the hepatosomatic index of the female fish are higher than those of the male fish.</p>