Fish Diversity in Peusangan River, Aceh Tengah Regency, Indonesia

Ririn Puspita and Hesti Wahyuningsih

Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara,

Medan, Indonesia

Keywords: Biodiversity, Fish, Indonesia, Peusangan River.

Abstract: Information upon fish diversity in Peusangan river, Aceh Tengah regency is still limited in addition to its

surrounding physicochemical factors which may indicate the health status of natural habitat. This study aims

to obtain the ecological parameters and biodiversity of fish in study sites based on different characteristics

of sampling sites. Data analysis included the Shannon’s diversity index (H’) and evenness index (E) and

water parameters, e.g. velocity, temperature, pH, light intensity, light penetration, dissolved oxygen,

biochemical oxygen demand, nitrate and phosphate content. Ten species of fishes sampled from study sites

were classified into 4 orders (Perciformes, Cypriniformes, Cyprinodontiformes, Siluriformes) and 6 families

(Cichilidae, Channida, Cyprinidae, Poecilidae, Clariidae, Loricariidae). The highest population was

Xiphophorus hellerii (1 ind.m

-2

) while the highest and lowest H’ was found in Station 2 and Station 4 with

1.89 and 1.52, respectively. Stream velocity and phosphate content were strongly correlated to the diversity

of fishes in Peusangan river based on Pearson’s product-moment correlation analysis.

1 INTRODUCTION

Fish is one of the biodiversity which construct the

river ecosystem. Biodiversity acts as a stable

ecosystem, source of germplasm and economic

source. Fish in tropical rivers have the characteristic

of being able to adapt to fast river currents and low

dissolved oxygen during the dry season. Freshwater

fish are very vulnerable to be disturbed considering

freshwater fish as a need to meet the nutritional

value for humans. The presence of freshwater fish in

Indonesia's rivers is increasingly threatened because

of over-exploitation, habitat destruction and invasion

of foreign species.

Peusangan River is one of the rivers in the

province of Aceh with a length of 128 km flowing

through 4 districts / cities (Khasanah et al., 2010). At

present, the Peusangan River experiences mild to

moderate degradation due to community activities

such as agriculture, bathing, washing and toilet as

well as the construction of the Peusangan

Hydroelectric Power Plant which causes disturbed

water conditions and affects the stability of aquatic

ecosystems. Therefore, research is needed on the

diversity of fish in the Peusangan River to see the

condition of the waters in the Peusangan River. The

purpose of this study was to analyze the diversity of

fish and their relationship with physical factors of

chemical waters in the Peusangan River, Central

Aceh District.

2 MATERIALS AND METHODS

This research was conducted from September to

October 2018 in Sungai Peusangan, Central Aceh

District, Aceh Province. Samples were taken based

on the activities around the station twice as many

replications which are located in Bale Atu Village,

Kayu Kul Village, Lenga Village, and Semelit

Mutiara Village. Identification and determination

were conducted at the Biology Laboratory of the

Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences,

University of North Sumatra.

This study uses a purposive sampling method by

determining 4 research stations. Fish are taken using

a 5×1 m net with 1 inch mesh size. The net is

stocked at 17:00 WIB until 06.00 WIB and 07.00

WIB until 16.00 WIB. The fish obtained are

documented and put in containers containing 70%

alcohol. The physical chemistry factors were

measured including temperature, light intensity, light

penetration, velocity, pH, DO, BOD

, NO

and PO

390

Puspita, R. and Wahyuningsih, H.

Fish Diversity in Peusangan River, Aceh Tengah Regency, Indonesia.

DOI: 10.5220/0010199300002775

In Proceedings of the 1st International MIPAnet Conference on Science and Mathematics (IMC-SciMath 2019), pages 390-394

ISBN: 978-989-758-556-2

The fish obtained were identified by reference to

Kottelat et al. (1993).

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The number of fish individuals sampled in this study

was 398 ind during two capture efforts. Fish species

are grouped into 4 orders (Cypriniformes,

Silluriformes, Cyprinodontiformes, Perciformes), 6

families (Cyprinidae, Clariidae, Loricariidae,

Poeciliidae, Channidae, Cichilidae), 10 species of

fish (Table 1 and Figure 1). The most abundant fish

species are from the Cyprinidae family with 4

species namely Osteochillus vittatus, Osteochillus

kappenii, Rasbora sumatrana, and Poropuntius

tawarensis. Cyprinidae is a large freshwater fish

spreaded in almost all freshwater region (Kottelat et

al., 1993). Cyprinids inhabit both strong and weak

streams characterized with good water quality,

making their presence as generalists.

Guppy fish (Poecilia reticulata) was found at all

research stations because these fish are easy to breed

and adapt to their environmental conditions.

According to Panjaitan et al. (2015) Guppies are

easy to breed by mating at the age of 3 months. A

Guppy can produce up to hundreds of chicks during

its lifetime. Guppies are a group of fish that are able

to survive in an unfavorable environment, and do not

require a special location to breed.

Green Swordtail (Xiphophorus hellerii) is an

ornamental fish species that has a unique shape. The

male fish will develop a sword at the bottom of the

tail fin. This fish was not found at stations 3 and 4

due to unfavorable environmental conditions such as

lower light penetration, more turbid water and faster

water currents. According to Maddern et al. (2011)

Swordtail can live at temperatures of 18-25

C but

can still survive at lower temperatures in subtropical

areas. This fish likes clear waters and should be

calm. The population of Swordtail will be lower if

predator fish such as tilapia and cork fish are found.

Poropuntius tawarensis is a species that

generally lives in tap waters such as lakes and can

only be occasionally found in slow-flowing rivers.

The number of fish species found at each station is

different, this depends on the ability of fish to adapt

to the physical chemical factors of the waters.

According to Muchlisin et al. (2010) Kawan fish

(Poropuntius tawarensis) is an endemic fish of Lake

Laut Tawar. This fish lives in the sub-pelagic zone

to the demersal zone. Most of these fish are found

around aquatic plants near the lake shores.

Relo fish (Rasbora sumatrana) are only found at

station 1. This fish has a relatively small body size.

The absence of Relo Fish in other research stations is

due to the presence of predators that prey on Relo

fish. According to Idris et al. (2017) at least Rasbora

sumatrana fish were found due to predatory Channa

striata fish which prey on small fish, insects, and

various other aquatic animals.

Snakehead fish is a species of freshwater

carnivorous fish. Snakehead fish has a rather flat

head and snakehead shape. Snakehead were not

found at station 1 and station 2 because of the

unfavorable environmental conditions for fish

habitat. Snakehead prefers shallow and muddy areas.

According to Listyanto and Andriyanto, (2009),

snakehead generally live in shallow waters such as

rivers and swamps, tend to choose dark, muddy

places. This fish prey on a variety of small fish,

insects, and various aquatic animals including

tadpoles and frogs.

Table 1: Fish taxa and occurrence in Peusangan river.

Order Family Species Station

I II III IV

Cypriniformes Cyprinidae Osteochillus vittatus + + - -

Osteochillus kappenii - + + +

Poropuntius tawarensis + + - -

Rasbora sumatrana + - - -

Siluriformes Clariidae Clarias batrachus - + + +

Loricariidae Liposarcus pardalis - + + -

Cyprinodontiformes Poecilidae Poecilia reticulata + + + +

Xiphophorus hellerii + + - -

Perciformes Channidae Channa striata - - + +

Cichilidae Oreochromis niloticus + - + +

Fish Diversity in Peusangan River, Aceh Tengah Regency, Indonesia

391

1. Osteochillus vittatus 2. Osteochillus kappenii

3. Poropuntius tawarensis 4. Rasbora Sumatrana

5. Poecilia reticulata 6.

iphophorus hellerii

7. Liposarcus pardalis 8. Clarias batrachus

9. Oreochromis niloticus 10. Channa striatas

Figure 1: Documentation of fish diversity in Peusangan river.

Sapu-sapu is one of the invasive species.

Invasive species can be predators and competitors of

native species. Sapu-sapu are more commonly found

at station 2 because the high phosphate content at

station 2 causes significant growth of algae which is

the main food of the broom. According to Wu et al.

(2011) Sapu-sapu fish live on the bottom of the

waters as algae eaters. This fish can be a competitor

of algae-eating local fish. The fish also prey on fish

eggs, thereby reducing the number of local fish

populations.

Peres (Osteochillus sp) is a freshwater fish

inhabiting the benthopelagic zone with sandy

substrate and muds. Peres were found at each

research station due to the availability of sufficient

food in the waters. According to Setiawan et al.

(2018) The genus Osteochillus is a herbivorous fish

that in the larval to adult phase utilizes plankton as

its food source in O. hasselti and 48% of stomach

contents are identified as plants in O. vittatus.

Shannon’s diversity index values ranged from

1.52 to 1.89. According to Krebs (1985), the

IMC-SciMath 2019 - The International MIPAnet Conference on Science and Mathematics (IMC-SciMath)

392

diversity index value (H ') below 2.302 is classified

as low diversity. According to Wahy Wahyuni and

Zakaria (2018), the high and low value of the

diversity index depends on the variation in the

number of individuals per fish species that was

successfully caught. The greater the number of fish

species and the variation in the number of

individuals per species, the greater the diversity of

fish in an aquatic ecosystem.

Uniformity index values at each station are

relatively the same. Uniformity index (E) values

ranged from 0.94 to 0.98. According to Krebs,

(1985), the uniformity index value close to 1 states

that the distribution of individuals is very uniform

and evenly distributed. This causes the absence of a

species that dominates in these waters.

Table 2: Shannon’s diversity and evenness index.

Station Shannon’s diversity index

(

’

)

Evenness

index

(

)

I 1.67 0.94

II 1.89 0.97

III 1.76 0.98

IV 1.52 0.95

The temperature at each research station ranged

from 23.7-25.3

C. The highest temperature obtained

at station 3 was 25.3

C, while the lowest

temperature obtained at station 2 was 23.7

C. The

difference in temperature at each station is

influenced by the intensity of light, current, and

depth. According to Barus (2004), temperature can

be influenced by season, altitude from sea level, air

circulation, currents, light intensity and depth.

Dissolved oxygen (DO) at each station ranged

from 5.8 to 6.6 mg / L. The highest DO is at station

2 and the lowest is station 3. The difference in

oxygen solubility can be caused by several factors

including the temperature difference at the two

stations. At station 2 the water temperature is lower

so DO is higher. Oxygen is a very important

compound for the life of organisms, especially for

the process of breathing, metabolism, and

photosynthesis. The presence of dissolved oxygen in

the waters is an important factor for the survival of

all organisms. According to Kenconojati et al.

(2016) DO levels that are good for fish growth are

above 5 mg / L.

The highest BOD5 value is at station 3 of 2.8

mg/L and the lowest BOD5 is at station 1 of 1.4

mg/L. This difference is due to the content of

organic compounds derived from domestic and

agricultural waste. According to Kristanto (2002) the

value of BOD that can still support the life of

aquatic organisms ranges from 1-3 ppm.

The highest PO4 (Phosphate) level is at station 2

at 4.87 mg/L and the lowest at station 4 is 0.03

mg/L. The very high phosphate value at station 2 is

caused by domestic waste from households, markets,

and livestock that are dumped directly into the

waters. According to Mustofa (2015), high

phosphate levels indicate an eutrophic (fertile)

waters.

Table 3: Physicochemical characteristics of Peusangan

river.

Parameters Units Station

I II III IV

Tem

erature °C

24.10 23.70 25.30 24.90

Light

intensit

314 344 325 380

Light

enetration

meter

1.80 1.50 1.20 1.40

Velocit

0.31 0.24 0.42 0.47

H-

7.57 7.31 7.21 7.19

DO m

6.20 6.60 5.80 6.40

BOD

1.40 2.20 2.80 1.80

Saturation

75.33 79.61 71.87 78.72

Nitrate m

0.17 0.15 0.44 0.37

Phos

hate m

0.04 4.87 0.11 0.03

The value of phosphate correlation and current

velocity to diversity index (H ') is quite strong.

Correlation values for temperature, light intensity,

and nitrate are moderate and correlation values for

pH, light penetration, DO, BOD, and oxygen

saturation are relatively weak. The highest

correlation value is the current speed of -0,814. High

correlation values indicate the speed of the flow is

very influential on the diversity index. A negative

correlation value (-) shows the opposite correlation.

The higher the current velocity, the lower the

diversity index of fish. According to Barus (2004)

currents that are too swift can wash away fish, so

fish will avoid by hiding behind rocks.

Table 4: Correlation between H’ and physicochemical

characteristics of Peusangan river.

Parameters Correlation

(

)

Temperature

-0.529

Light intensity

0.177

Light penetration

-0.539

Velocity

0.013

-0.814

0.095

BOD

-0.255

Saturation

-0.031

Nitrate

-0.482

Phosphate

0.768

Fish Diversity in Peusangan River, Aceh Tengah Regency, Indonesia

393

The value of the phosphate correlation to the

diversity index of 0.768 indicates a strong

correlation. A positive value, indicating the higher

the value of the phosphate, the greater the diversity

index. Phosphate in the waters is an important

nutrient for the growth and metabolism of aquatic

organisms, especially phytoplankton. According to

Patty et al. (2015) phytoplankton is an indicator of

fertility in waters. The more presence of

phytoplankton in the waters, indicating the more

fertile waters so that more aquatic biota. However, if

the phosphate concentration is too large in waters,

eutrophication can occur which causes death in

aquatic biota.

4 CONCLUSIONS

Fish species obtained at four research stations in

Peusangan river, Central Aceh regency, Aceh

province consisted of 4 orders, 6 families, and 10

species. The diversity (H’) is classified as low within

range of 1.52-1.89. Distribution of fishes in the

water are relatively uniform and evenly distributed

with E value of 0.94-0.98. Phosphate and stream

velocity show a strong correlation to fish diversity

index in the Peusangan river.

REFERENCES

Barus, T. (2004). Pengantar Limnologi Studi Kasus

Tentang Ekosistem Air Daratan. USU Press. Medan.

USU Press.

Idris, S., Nurhadi, & Wati, M. (2017). Jenis-jenis Ikan

yang Tertangkap di Sungai Batang Kariang Nagari Air

Amo Kecamatan Kamang Baru Kabupaten Sijunjung

Provinsi Sumatera Barat. Artikel Ilmiah.

Kenconojati, H., Suiyono, Budi, D., Ulkhaq, M., & Azhar,

M. (2016). Inventarisasi Kenakearagaman Jenis Ikan

di Sungai Bendo Desa Kampung Anyar Kabupaten

Bayuwangi. Jurnal AGROVETERINER, 5(1), 89–97.

Khasanah, N., Mulyoutami, E., Ekodinata, A., Asmawan,

T., Tanika, L., Said, Z., Noorwidjk, M., & Leimona,

B. (2010). Kaji Cepat Hidrologi di Daerah Aliran

Sungai Krueng Peusangan, NAD, Sumatra. World

Agroforestry Centre.

Kottelat, M., Whitten, A., Kartikasari, S., &

Wirjoatmodjo, S. (1993). Freshwater Fishes of

Western Indonesia and Sulawesi. Periplus Edition.

Krebs, C. (1985). Ecology:The Experimental Analysis of

Distribution and Abundance. Harper & Row

Publishing.

Kristanto, P. (2002). Ekologi Industri. Penerbit ANDI.

Listyanto, N., & Andriyanto, S. (2009). Ikan Gabus

(Channa striata) Manfaat Pengembangan dan

Alternatif Teknik Budidayanya. Media Akuakultur,

4(1), 18–30.

Maddern, M., Gill, H., & Morgan, D. (2011). Biology and

Invasive Potential of The Introduced Swordtail

Xiphophorus hellerii Heckel (Poeciliidae) in Western

Australia. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and

Freshwater Ecosystem.

Muchlisin, Z., Musman, M., & Azizah, M. (2010).

Length-Weight Relationships and Condition Factors of

Two Threatened Fishes, Rasbora tawarensis and

Poropuntius tawarensis, Endemic to Lake Laut Tawar,

Aceh Province, Indonesia. Journal of Applied

Ichtyology, 26(2), 949–953.

Mustofa, A. (2015). Kandungan Nitrat dan Posfat Sebagai

Faktor Tingkat Kesuburan Perairan Pantai. Jurnal

DISPROTEK, 6(1), 13–19.

Panjaitan, K., Sucahyo, Semuel, F., & Rondonuwu.

(2015). Struktur Populasi Ikan Guppy (Poecilia

reticulata) di Sungai Gajah Putih, Surakarta, Jawa

Tengah. Bonorowo Wetlands, 6(2), 103–109.

Patty, S., Arfah, H., & Abdul, M. (2015). Zat Hara (Fosfat,

Nitrat), Oksigen Terlarut dan pH Kaitannya dengan

Kesuburan di Perairan Jikumerasa, Pulau Buru. Jurnal

Pesisir Dan Laut Tropis, 1(1), 43–50.

Setiawan, J., Kurniawan, A., Sari, S., Kurniawan, A., &

Fakhrurrozi, Y. (2018). 2018. Fitoplankton pada

Habitat Ikan Cempedik (Osteochillus spilurus) di

Sungai Lenggang, Belitung Timur. Jurnal Ilmu

Perikanan.,

9(2), 45–52.

Wahyuni, T., & Zakaria, A. (2018). Keanekaragaman Ikan

di Sungai Luk Ulo Kabupaten Kebumen. Biosfera,

35(1), 23–28.

Wu, L., Liu, C., & Lin, S. (2011). Identification of Exotic

Saiflin Catfih Species (Pterygoplichtys, Loricariidae)

in Taiwan Based on Morphology and mtDNA

Sequences. Zoological Studies, 50(2), 235–246.

IMC-SciMath 2019 - The International MIPAnet Conference on Science and Mathematics (IMC-SciMath)

394