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Abstract. Berber ponyfish, Leiognathus berbis, is one of the dominant species of Leiognathidae caught in Takalar waters, southern part of Makassar Strait, South Sulawesi. L. berbis is a demersal fish with both economic and ecological value. Its population is believed to have an impact on the food chain within the ecosystem. The current study aimed to analyze the sex ratio and size of first mature gonads of L. berbis caught in the Takalar waters, for a better and more sustainable management of these fish resources. During the study, 900 L. berbis were obtained, with an unbalanced male to female sex ratio, of 1.49:1.00. The size at which male fish first matured was 124.8 mm in body length, while female fish first matured at 107.9 mm. Female fish mature gonads at a smaller size than male fish. In conclusion, L. berbis in Takalar waters showed fewer female fish and faster gonad maturity compared to male fish.
Key Words: Leiognathidae, peperek, Makassar Strait, mature gonad, population.
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Introduction. The Leiognathidae family comprises fish species that share similar body morphology, characterized by a laterally compressed shape, small to medium size, silvery color, and a mouth that can form a tube pointing up, forward, or down when extended (Woodland et al 2001). Woodland et al (2001) reported the presence of 22 species of Leiognathidae in Indonesian waters, 16 of which are found in Makassar Strait. Wedjatmiko (2007) discovered 13 species of Leiognathidae in the western waters of Sumatra. In Makassar Strait, 12 species were found (Wedjatmiko et al 2007). Asriyana et al (2011) found 10 species of Leiognathidae in Kendari Bay, while in the waters of Bontang, East Kalimantan, 7 species were discovered (Suyatna et al 2016). There have been recent changes in the nomenclature of Leiognathidae genera. Previously, only 3 genera (Gazza, Leiognathus, and Secutor) were recognized, but now there are 10 genera (Aurigequula, Deveximentum, Equulites, Eubleekeria, Gazza, Karalla, Leiognathus, Nuchequula, Photolateralis, and Photopectoralis) comprising a total of 51 species (Froese & Pauly 2023). The family Leiognathidae comprises slipmouths or ponyfishes. In Indonesia, they are known as bete-bete, peperek, pepetek, and petek, as reported by (Schuster & Djajadiredja 1952; Burhanuddin et al 1998; and Wiadnya et al 2014).
Berber ponyfish (Leiognathus berbis) is...