Morphometric and genetic characteristics along with ecological adaptation of Barbodes sellifer in aquatic management

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Barbodes sellifer is a freshwater fish species that was recently discovered in the Aneuk Laot Lake ecosystem, Sabang City. Barbodes sellifer, an omnivore, plays a key role in the food web and adapts well to changes in food availability. Although this species plays an important ecological role and holds potential for contributing to local fisheries, information regarding its morphometric and genetic characteristics remains scarce. The objectives of study were to analyze the morphological traits and genetic diversity of Barbodes sellifer populations using a deoxyribonucleic acid barcoding approach. This method is expected to reveal the population structure, genetic variation, and ecological adaptations of the species, providing a scientific basis for sustainable aquatic management and conservation.METHODS: This study employed a morphometric and genetic approach comprising morphological analysis and genetic identification based on deoxyribonucleic acid barcoding. Barbodes sellifer specimens were collected from several sites within the lake using a purposive random sampling method. Morphological characteristics were analyzed through morphometric and meristic measurements, while genetic analysis was conducted using polymerase chain reaction with cytochrome oxidase I specific primers. The resulting polymerase chain reaction products were then analyzed using bioinformatics software to identify genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among populations.FINDINGS: Morphological and morphometric analyses confirmed that one of the native fish species of Aneuk Laot Lake is Barbodes sellifer. This newly recorded Indonesian fish is reported for the first time in a lake habitat. The morphometric and truss measurements of Barbodes sellifer revealed the highest variation in total length (12.52 ± 1.03 centimeters) and standard length (10.07 ± 0.87 centimeters), while the lowest variation was in eye diameter (0.65 ± 0.06 centimeters). Truss morphometric analysis showed the greatest distances in the anterior base of the dorsal fin to the junction of the head and ventral body (3.57 ± 0.40 centimeters), and from the head–dorsal body junction to the anterior base of the ventral fin (2.99 ± 0.37 centimeters). The shortest distances were from the anterior to the posterior base of the anal fin (0.88 ± 0.11 centimeters) and between the dorsal and ventral caudal folds (1.21 ± 0.13 centimeters). These findings reveal key areas of morphological variation in Barbodes sellifer, supporting population structure and species differentiation studies. Genetic analysis further confirms this, showing the lake’s native fish form a single clade with Barbodes sellifer, with 100 percent similarity based on phylogenetic analysis using the Barcode of Life Data System.CONCLUSION: This study presents the first report on the morphological and genetic characteristics of Barbodes sellifer within a lake ecosystem. Barbodes sellifer indicates ecological changes, highlighting the need for science-based, sustainable monitoring to maintain aquatic ecosystem balance. The findings underscore the significance of the morphometric and genetic approach in understanding the population structure and genetic diversity of native fish species as a scientific basis for aquatic resource management. The information obtained can be utilized in the development of conservation strategies and sustainable monitoring of Barbodes sellifer habitats in response to threats such as climate change, pollution, and overexploitation.