Morphological and Morphometric Characteristics of Gonads of the Largetooth Flounder Pseudorhombus arsius: Implications for Sustainable Fisheries Management

¹ Masters to Doctoral Education for Excellent Undergraduates (PMDSU), Faculty of Marine Science and Fisheries, Hasanuddin University
² Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Marine Science and Fisheries, Hasanuddin University
³ Multitrophic Aquaculture Research Group (MARGO), Faculty of Marine Science and Fisheries, Hasanuddin University
⁴ Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Marine Science and Fisheries, Hasanuddin University

^* Corresponding author: jtresnati@yahoo.com

Abstract

Largetooth Flounder Pseudorhombus arsius is a demersal fish that lives in sea and brackish waters of the Indo-West Pacific. This study aims to understand the reproductive strategies and sustainable fisheries management of P. arsius by analyzing the morphological and morphometric characteristics of male and female gonads. The samples were collected from the fishermens catches in the Makassar Strait Waters, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. This study examined gonad morphology, color and shape, and morphometric parameters. The results showed that the female ovaries were larger and heavier than the male testes. This has to do with the r-strategy, which produces male sperm quickly and effectively, and the K-strategy, which requires a significant investment in egg formation. These variations in approach show how organisms have evolved to adapt to unstable situations in tropical settings. These results provide important information for sustainable fisheries management, especially in determining the spawning season and minimum catch size, which allows the population to reproduce optimally. So, this morphological and morphometric data-based method can protect the P. arsius population from overexploitation and environmental changes. It also maintains the balance of the ecosystem and generates sustainable economic benefits for local communities by preserving the P. arsius fish stock.