DIVERSITY AND COMPOSITION OF FISH FAUNA AT TELAGA … and Composition of Fish Fauna at Telaga Air...'I-' " .' .' . J . DIVERSITY AND COMPOSITION OF FISH FAUNA AT TELAGA AIR ESTUARY

J I-

DIVERSITY AND COMPOSITION OF FISH FAUNA AT TELAGA AIR ESTUARY

Faznur Fateh Bte FirdausNicholas 23493

QL 615 17 2112

Bachelor of Science with Honours (Aquatic Resource Science and Management)

2012

I j ilt Pusat Khidmat Maklumat ~kademik UNlVEPsm MALAYSIA SARA~AK

DIVERSITY AND COMPOSITION OF FISH FAUNA AT TELAGA AIR ESTUARY

If-

F AZNUR F ATEH BTE FIRDAUSNICHOLAS

Thus project is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of

Bachelor of Science with Honours (Aquatic Resource Science and Management)

Faculty of Resource Science and Technology UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA SARA W AK

2012

bull bull t l I

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that no portion of the work referred to in this dissertation has been submitted

in support of an application for another degree or qualification to this university or any other

institution of higher learning

Faznur Fateh Bte FirdausNicholas

Aquatic Resource Science and Management

Department of Aquatic Science

Faculty of Resource Science and Technology

University Malaysia Sarawak

-=--

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to extend by profound gratitude to my supervisor Dr Khairul Adha ARahim for

all the advice guidance and moral support throughout the study Not forgetting my coshy

supervisor Dr Samsur Mohamad Masyitah Ibrahim Shareena Nazlia and Nur Hazwanie

Izyan bt Mohd Nizam for all the effort during the field samplings and data collection

My special thanks also to the Telaga Air fisherman and boat man with their willingness in

helping me for the field work Not forgotten also a special remembrance to lab assistance En

Zaidi and EnAzlan for their willingness to assist me in this study

Finally my special thanks for my family for their moral support and motivation for me to

finish this project Last but not the least to those that helped me in this project May Allah

bless all of you

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Table of Contents Page

Acknowledgement I

II-IIITable of Contents

IV - VIList of Tables and Figures

Abstractbull 1

10 Introduction amp Objective 2-3 11 Objectives 3

20 Literature review 4 21 Estuarine and mangroves ecosystem 4-5 22 Fish fauna 5-6 23 Water quality 6-7

30 Materials and Method 8 31 Study sites 8 32 Fish sample 10 33 Fish identification and preservation 10 34 Data measurement and collection to 35 BODs_ 11 36 Sample analysis 12

40 Resultsbullbull ~ bullbullbullbullbullbullbull bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull 13 41 Fish fauna 13 42 Species diversity indices 17 43 Physico-chemical water quality parameters 18

431 pH 19 432 Dissolve oxygen 20 433 Temperature 20 434 Salinity 21 435 Turbidity 21 436 Depth 22

437 BODs 22 436 Water current 23

II

t 1

50 Discussion 25-30

60 Conclusion and recommendation 31

70 References 32-34

80 Appendices 35 - 44

Table 1

Table 2

Table 3

Table 4

Table 5

Table 6

Table 7

-

LIST OF TABLES

GPS coordinate reading for Station 1 until Station 5

Apparatus used for physico-chemical water quality parameters at Telaga Air estuary

Number of fish family fish species and number of individuals sample collection for each station

List number of fish families and species collected from 5 station of Telaga Air estuary

Diversity indices of fish fauna at Telaga Air estuary

Mean and standard error for the phsico-chemical water parameters at sampling stations

One way ANOV A of physico-chemical water parameter

Page

8

11

13

15-16

17

18

19

IV ~

f f

LIST OF FIGURES

PAGE

Figure 1 The sampling station at SgSibu Telaga Air estuary 9

Figure 2 Percentage of ten highest individual fish family at Telaga Air 14 estuary

Figure 3 Mean of pH value for each sampling station at Telaga Air 19 estuary

Figure 4 Mean of 00 value for five sampling stations at Telaga Air 20 estuary

Figure 5 Mean of temperature value for five sampling stations at Telaga 20 Air estuary

Figure 6 Mean of salinity value for five sampling stations at Telaga Air 21 estuary

Figure 7 Mean of turbidity value for five sampling stations at Telaga 21 Air estuary

Figure 8 Mean of depth value for five sampling stations at Telaga Air 22 estuary

Figure 9 Mean ofB005 value for five sampling stations at Telaga Air 23 estuary

Figure 10 Mean of water current value for five sampling stations at 23 Telaga Air estuary

v

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LIST OF APPENDICES

PAGE

Appendix 1 List of fish families species common name and number of individual caught from station 1

35

Appendix 2 List of fish families species common name and number of individual caught from station 2

36

Appendix 3 List of fish families species common name and number of individual caught from station 3

37

Appendix 4 List of fish families species common name and number of individual caught from station 4

38

Appendix 5 List of fish families species common name and number of individual caught from station 5

39

Appendix 6 List of fish families species number of individual eN) total length (TL) and weight with their standard deviations (SO) caught in station I

40

Appendix 7 List of fish families species number of individual eN) total length (TL) and weight with their standard deviations (SO) caught in station 2

41

Appendix 8 List of fish families species number of individual eN) total length (TL) and weight with their standard deviations (SO) caught in station 3

42

Appendix 9

Appendix 10

List of fish families species number of Individual (N) total length (TL) and weight with their standard deviations (SO) caught in station 4

List of fish families species number of individual (N) total length (TL) and weight with their standard deviations (SO) caught in station 5

43

44

VI

Diversity and Composition of Fish Fauna at Telaga Air Estuary

Faznur Fateh Bte FirdausNicholas

Aquatic Resource Science and Management Faculty of Resources Science and Technology

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to determine the diversity and composition of fish fauna at Telaga Air estuary from 4th _5 th February 2012 Five sampling stations were selected and fish were collected using three layer gill net after the 10 to 15 minutes of net deployment A total of 237 individual fish from 26 families and 52 species were collected The highest individual fish were collected at ST3 and the lowest at ST5 The most ubiquitous fish collected were from family Sciaenidae with

10 species and covered 3270 of individual fish Eight types of physico-chemical water

parameters were taken and analyze using one way ANOV A showed that there were significant differences among all stations

Keyword Telaga Air estuary family Sciaenidae fish composition and diversity

ABSTRAK

Kajian ini telah dijalankan bagi menentukan nilai kepelbagaian dan komposisi ikan di kawasan paya bakau Telaga Air pada 4-5 Febuari 2012 Lima stesen bagi aktiviti penangkapan ikan telah dipilih dan pukat insang tiga lapis digunakan dan dibiarkall selama 10 sehingga 15 minit dipermukaan air bagi tujuan penangkapan ikan Sejumlah 237 individu ikan daripada 26 famili dan 52 spesis telah dianalisa ST3 merupakan stesen tertinggi kutipan sample ikan manakala ST5 merupakan stesen yang terendah klltipan sample ikan Famili Sciaenidae telah mendominasi kutipan ikan sebanyak 10 spesis dengan jumlah sebanyak 3270 individu ikan Lapan jenis parameter kualiti air telah diambil dan dianalisa menggunakan analisis variant satu hala hasil analisa tersebut menunjukan terdapat perbezaan ketara bagi parameter kualiti air di setiap stesen

Kata kunci Paya bakau Telaga Airfamili Sciaenidae komposisi dan kepelbagaiall ikan

1

11 - 1I bull

10 Introduction

The ASEAN region is one of the mega-biodiversity centers of the world that

containing significant values of mangroves coral reef and seagrass meadows in the

world and south-east Asian mangroves represent about a third of the worlds

mangroves of 18 million ha (Chong and Sasekumar 2002) This mangrove ecosystem

comprises elements from marine and terrestrial habitats due to the interpenetrate both

ecosystem and also the tide influence (Lacerda et al2001)

This dynamic ecosystem is characterized by a variety of primary procedures

grazing and detrial food chains a high degree of interaction between the water column

and bottom a complex food web and a large number of generalist to feeders (Day et

al 1987) It also characterized with poor soil condition composed of silt sand clay

and decomposing organic matter is home to many species with unique adaptive

features (Mashhor et al 2006)Mangrove forest is allocated between land and sea and

subjected to daily tidal flooding Mangroves are estuarine areas of high productivity

providing a ready supply of organic matter which utilized directly and indirectly by

marine fishes shrimps crabs and others (Chong 2007)

Currently mangroves forest diversity become declined due to unsustainable

forestry practices illegal harvests agriculture construction urbanization and

reclamations for coastal development In addition estuarine organisms also have

exposed to variety of natural stressor which is varying spatially and temporally Due to

their complexity and uniqueness estuaries present challenges to understanding the

effects of stressors and the underlying causes of these effects on biological components

of estuarine ecosystem (Adams 2005) Thus the combinations of various

2

I I

anthropogenic impacts have invariably eroded the carrying capacity of mangroves

habitat to support the diversity aquatic fauna (Chong 2007)

Fish can be as one of the biological indicator for natural ecosystems Estuarine

fishes are known for their tolerance to fluctuation of salinity temperature and oxygen

in that ecosystem Estuaries are also as a medium for the fauna that pass regularly

between freshwater and the sea as part of their life cycle

11 Objectives

a) To identify the fish diversity and composition in the Telaga Air estuary

area

b) To examine the physico-chemical water quality in the sampling stations

ofTelaga Air estuary

3

20 Literature review

21 Estuarine and Mangroves Ecosystem

Estuaries can be simple defined as portion of the earths coastal zone where

there is interaction of ocean water freshwater land and atmosphere (Day et al 1987)

Estuaries and coastal waters often contain various mixtures of fresh and salty water

that gives challenging circumstances for the aquatic organisms to survive The oftenshy

changing mixtures of fresh and seawater create difficult osmotic gradients that greatly

affect coastal organisms (Valiela 1991)

Odum and Schelske (1962) referred that the productivity of estuaries depends

on five factors Ebb and flow water movements resulting from tidal action the

abundant supplies of nutrients rapid regeneration and conservation of nutrients due to

activity of microorganisms and filter feeders three types of primary production units

(marsh grass benthic algae and phytoplankton) which insure maximum utilization of

light at all seasons and lastly year-around production with successive crops

However three categories of energy sources can also be determined at this

ecosystem There are the mechanical energy of moving water sunlight penetration and

also organic and inorganic fuels imported into estuaries (Day et al 1987) All of these

components are needed for the primary productivity activities and gives sustainability

to aquatic ecosystem

In the tropics mangroves forest not only serves as a source of edible aquatic

animals but also provide shelter wood for fuel and variety for natural products

Mangroves also act as nursery ground for juvenile aquatic animals especially for

anadromous and catadromous fish species One of the reason why estuaries as best

4

PUlat Khidmat Maklumat Akademik UNlVERSm MALAYSIA SARAWAK

nursery ground is due to the low predation rates on small fishes and the effectiveness

of predators hunting visually that is reduced by the turbidity (Wootton 1992)The

condition in mangroves can be serving usually with the temperatures in mangrove

generally ranged from 20 - 40degC with salinities ranged from 0 to 46 ppt and highly

variable oxygen concentrations (Wootton 1992)

Generally mangroves are fragile ecosystem and are under pressure due to the

human activities such as direct throw of waste industries logging activities

agricultures channelization of rivers and also shrimp aquacuItures farm The major

effects for the destruction of mangroves ecosystem may loss the habitats of juvenile

fishes and also others animals such as extinction of Proboscis monkey that are only

endemic in Borneo region Some ecosystems may be somewhat more resilient and

resistant than others however it is a need to conserve the polluted and fragile

ecosystems (Alongi 1998)

22 Fish fauna

The ecological importance of estuarine and coastal ecosystems throughout

the world is well known Their biological productivity and physical diversity as well

as mineral resources and strategic location have gained a great biological and

economic importance (Yong 1999)

Chong et at (2010) recorded total of 1951 species of freshwater and marine

fishes belonging to 704 genera and 186 families are in Malaysia Generally brackish

water euryhaline and marine fishes are threatened mainly by overfishing and habitat

destruction for human proposed Freshwater habitats encompass the highest percentage

of threatened fish species (87) followed by estuarine habitats (66) of the 32

5

species of highly threatened (HT) species 16 are freshwater and 16 are largely marineshy

euryhaline species (Chong et al2010)

Fish fauna distribution in Sarawak mangroves area quite unique and

diverse Many studies has been done regarding to the fish diversity and composition at

Sarawak mangroves area such as such as coastal zone of Kuching Bay (Yong 1999) at

Paloh mangrove area (Maximus 2005) Kuching Wetland National Park (Noordiana

2008) Rambungan mangroves area (Nurnadiah 2008) and Sg Semariang and its

tributaries (Nur Asyikin 2010)

The fish species ecosystems for each study location are difference due to the

special habitat preference of the areas For instance 24 and 2339 of family Ariidae

dominated the Paloh and Rambungan mangroves area respectively However 32 of

family Ambassidae was dominant in Kuching Wetland and 202 of family Mugilidae

dominated at Sg Semariang There are other several factors that influence the

distribution of fish fauna This included the seasonal changes in freshwater inflow and

other environmental conditions that may induced changes in density and species

composition of mangrove fishes along estuarine gradients ( Ley et af 1998)

24 Water quality

Water quality plays important role for fish distribution Difference fish species

preferred to difference ecology for their habitat and life cycle The negative impacts

from human activities also affect the water quality in the rivers and coastal area and

relatively disrupt fish habitat In that concern fish also used as biological tools for

monitoring the environment condition The results of studies which fish were used as

indicator species which directly related to the protection aquatic biota (Y ong 1999)

6

Physico-chemical water parameters also known as abiotic identities factors for

the fish distribution Fishes can only survive within a certain range of an abiotic

identity such as temperature pH dissolve oxygen and presence of toxic substances

Outside the range capability the fish dies and the factors may act as lethal factors

(Wootton 1992)

7

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30 Materials and Methods

31 Study Sites

These studies were conducted at SgSibu Telaga Air estuary and located nearby

to the mangroves area and mostly the villagers works as fisherman Sungai Sibu is the

main river tributaries and approximately 712 km in length from the Rambungan

rivers tributary until the river mouth (Google Earth 2012) Global Positioning System

(GPS) GPSmap 60csx Garmin model is used to mark and recorded the coordination of

sampling sites and Table 1 show respectively the GPS reading for each sampling

stations Five sampling stations were selected and marked as ST1 ST2 ST3 ST4 and

ST5 as shown in Figure 1

Table 1 GPS coordinate reading for Station 1 until Station 5

Station GPS Coordinate

ST 1 N 01deg40643 E 110deg11341

ST2 N 01deg41226 E 110deg12408

ST3 N 01deg40752 E 110deg12575

ST4 N 01deg39129 E 110deg14191

ST 5 N 01 deg39926 E 110deg14627

8

~---gto(

~----r-J

+

A I

South China Sea NPulau Tukong

--- 0 ~T2

SgRambungan (I

Figure 1 The sampling stations at SgSibu Telaga Air estuary STl-ST5 indicate sampling station

9

32 Fish Sample

Different types of gill net with different mesh size were used for fish sampling

The lengths of gill nets used were approximately 120 m and the mesh sizes are ranging

from 6 to 8 cm The net deployment for each station was in average of 10 to 15

minutes Sampling activities were done during low tide level starting from Station 1 to

Station 5 by rising of water level by time

33 Fish Identification and Preservation

Fish identification followed Yusri et al (2010) Mansor et al (1998)

Department of Fisheries Malaysia (2004) and Fish Base (2001) until species level The

data from fish identification is used for further analysis to determine the fish

composition and diversity for each station Unidentified fish samples was further

determined in FSTS laboratory

Fish samples were preserved in 10 formalin for two days to stabilize fish

tissue anatomical form and structure Then the samples are replaced with 70 ethanol

to ensure the specimens more pliable and maintain for long period of time

34 Data measurement and collection

Samples were measured based on total length (TL) fork length (FL) and

standard length (SL) to the nearest centimeters and weight was recorded for each fish

samples to the nearest gram unit by using standard procedure Mansor et al (1998) and

Department of Fisheries Malaysia (2004) Ruler and a portable electronic balance were

used respectively for the fish length and weight

In-situ and ex-situ parameter were taken for water quality analysis The in-situ

parameters were pH dissolve oxygen (DO) temperature (0C) salinity (PSU) turbidity

10

(NTU) depth (m) and water current (ms) Only biological oxygen demand (BODs)

parameter was taken for ex-situ parameter Data of physico-chemical water parameters

were analyzed using one-way ANOV A by SYST A T7 software (Wilkinson 1996) and

Table 2 shows the apparatus used for physico- chemical water quality parameters

Table 2 Apparatus used for physico-chemical water quality parameters at Telaga Air

estuary

Physico-chemical Water Apparatusmodel Parameters

Salinity (PSU)

pH and Temperature (0C)

Turbidity (NTU)

Dissolve oxygen (mglL)

Water current (ms)

MA887 Seawater Refractormeter Milwaukee

Mi 105 Phi temperature meter Martini Instrument

Mi 4 I 5 Martini Instrument

00-5510 CT Lutron

2000 Portable FlowmeterFlo-mate

35 BODs

Triplicate of 150 ml of water sample was placed in a BODs bottle Initial DO

reading were recorded and the bottle were wrap using aluminum foil after ensure that

there were no bubbles trap inside the bottle DO was taken after five days the sampling

bottle been wraped and the BODs was measured using the formula

BODs (mgL) = OJ - D5

Where D = DO of day 1 Os = DO of day 5

11

36 Samples Analysis

The fish samples were analyzed with diversity indices fish diversity Shannon-

weaver indices (H) (1963) fish evenness Pielou similarity index (J) (1969) Margalef

richness index (D) (1968) and species composition in percentage Below are

respectively formulas for each diversity indices

a) Shannon-Weaver Indices (H) (1963)

H = n Log n - L fi Log fi

n

Where n = Sample size fi = Number of individual for each species

b) Pielou Similarity Index (J)(1969)

J = H

LnS

Where H = Diversity of species S = Total number of species

c) Margalef Richness Index (D) (1968)

D = (S - l)Log N

Where S = Total number of species N =Total number of individual

d) Species Composition in Percentage

Number of individual of a given species X 100

Total number of all fish collected

12

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40 Results

41 Fish Fauna

A total of 237 individual fish belonging to 26 fish family and 52 fish species were

collected The highest number of individual fish collected was from ST3 with 71 individual

fish and following by ST1 ST4 ST3 and ST5 The highest number of fish family was at STI

with 14 tish family and the lowest was at ST5 with four fish family A total of 19 fish species

were found in STI and 13 12 and nine were found at ST2 ST4 and ST5 respectively Table 3

shows the detail information on number of fish family fish species and individual fish by each

station Table 3 Number of fish family fish species and number of individuals sample collection

for each station

Station (ST) No Family No Species No Individuals 1 14 19 60 2 8 13 37 3 12 19 71 4 8 12 43 5 4 9 26

TOTAL 237

There were ten highest individual fish collected in term of fish family such as

Sciaenidae (3270) following by family Engraulidae (1374) Tetraodontidae (1327)

Leiognathidae (1232) Ariidae (948) Clupeidae (90) Synodontidae (71)

Ambassidae (18) Carangidae (14) and Pristigasteridae (14)

The lowest individuals of fish number in term of fish family are Cynoglossidae

Dasyatidae Drepanidae Eleotriidae Hemiramphidae Hemiscylliidae Latidae Mugilidae

Paralichthyidae Platychephalidae Plotosidae Potynemidae Scatophagidae Sillaginidae

13 -

middotmiddot f t middot

Stromateidae and Terapontidae All of these fish family contribute as much as 995 from the

whole fish family

Percentage ofTen Highest Individuals Fish Family in Telaga Air

Teraodontidae bullbullbull1iEiEiiZJ 13270

Synodontidae ]t1amplpoundlZJ 7109

Sciaenidae 1fiB~~======~==J 32701

Pristigasteridae 1 1422 - ___11 12322

Leiognathidae

bull PercentageEngraulidae bullbullbullbullm~~ 13744

Clupeidae bullbullbullbull 9005

1422Carangidae

Ariidae bullbullaJ 9479

1896Ambassidae -i----r----------I---r------shy

0000 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000

Figure 2 Percentage often highest individual fish family at Telaga Air estuary

Ten species from family Sciaenidae were collected These include Nibea soldado

Johnius belangerii Johnius coitor Johnius sp Pennahia anea Johnius dussumeirii

Otholithes ruber Daysciaena albida Paranibea anea Paranibea semiluctosa and Johnius

carrola However there were also 18 fish family collections by single species The

representative fish families were Ambassidae Carangidae Dasyatidae Drepaneidae

Eleotriidae Hemiramphidae Latidae Leiognathidae Mugilidae Paralichthyidae

Platycephalidae Plotosidae Polynemidae Scatophagidae Sillaginidae Stromateidae

Synodontidae and Terapontidae The complete number of fish family fish species and

individual number of sample collected for each station as in Table 4

14

Hemiscylliidae

Latidae

Leiognathidae

MugiUdae

Table 4 List number of fish families and species collected from 5 station ofTelaga Air estuary

(ST = Station survey)

Famili Species ST 1 ST 2 ST 3 ST 4 ST 5 Total

Ambassidae Ambassidae sp 2 2 4

Ariidae Arius sagar 10 2 D Arius sp 2 2 Arius swnatranus 4 4 Osleogeneiosus militaris 1 1

Carangidae Alepes vari 2 2

Clupeidae Atule mate 2 Anodolltostoma chacunda 10 2 13 Hisa kelee 1 1 Ilisha macrogaster 1 2 IIlisha pristigastroides 1 Raconda russelina 2 2

Cynoglossidae Cynoglossus arel 2 2 CYlloglossus lingua 1

Dasyatidae Dasyatis zugei

Drepaoeidae Drepane punctata 2 2

Eleotriidae Buis amboinensis

Engraulidae Coilia dussumieri 3 Coiia macrognathos 4 4 Setipinna breviceps 2 2 Setipinna melanochir 1 1 Setipinna taty 4 4 Stolephorus indicus 2 2 Thryssa mystax 6 3 4 13

Hemiramphidae Zenarchopterus dispar

Chiloscyllium punctatum 2 2

Lates calicarifer

Gazza minuta 6 10 10 26

Oedalechilus labiosus

15