Morphometric and growth of mudskipper (family: Gobiidae) in mangrove Pancer Karangantu, Banten

¹ Department of Fisheries Sciences, Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University, Serang, Banten, Indonesia
² Department of Marine Science, Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University, Serang, Banten, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Boleophthalmus pectinirostris is one of three mudskipper species inhabiting the Pancer Mangrove ecosystem in Karangantu, alongside Periophthalmus chrysospilos and Periophthalmodon schlosseri. This study aimed to analyze the morphometric characteristics and growth of B. pectinirostris in relation to key environmental parameters. Field sampling and water quality measurements (temperature, salinity, and pH) were conducted in situ. Meanwhile, fish identification and morphometric analysis were conducted ex situ. The highest abundance of B. pectinirostris was recorded at Station 2 (72 individuals per 100 m²), indicating that this species can survive in aquatic conditions impacted by anthropogenic activity. Morphometric results revealed that salinity had a stronger correlation with pelvic fin length in females than in males. The growth pattern for male, female, and combined sexes was positively allometric, suggesting that body weight increases at a faster rate than body length. Growth parameters based on the von Bertalanffy growth model yielded L∞ = 17.63 cm, K = 1.02 per year, and t₀ = –0.18 years, indicating rapid growth during early life stages.