Sains Malaysiana 45(6)(2016): 891–898

Morphometric Variations among Three Different Populations of Cobia, Rachycentron canadum (Linnaeus 1766) in Peninsular Malaysia

(Variasi Morfometri dalam Kalangan Tiga Populasi Cobia Berbeza, Rachycentron canadum (Linnaeus 1766) di Semenanjung Malaysia)

S.M. NURUL AMIN¹, T.A. BABATUNDE^1,2*, M.M.M. IHAB¹, B.I. USMAN³ & R. ARA¹

¹Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

²Department of Biology, Umaru Musa Yaradua University, P M B 2218, Katsina, Nigeria

³Department of Biology, School of Science, Federal College of Education, Kano, Nigeria

Received: 19 January 2015/Accepted: 5 January 2016

ABSTRACT

Cobia Rachycentron canadum, is one of the emerging aquaculture species but is usually a non-target resource in fisheries industry and within Malaysia, their landings are among the highest worldwide. Identification of stocks with unique morphological characters is important for effective management and sustainable utilization. Morphometric variations among three different cobia populations from Kedah, Terengganu and Johor were studied. All the morphometric characteristics varied among the three populations as all the elements of the first Eigen vector were positive. Discriminant analysis suggested that head depth (HD) and maximum body depth, (MaxD) were the most varied among the populations. Cobia populations from Kedah and Johor were in a single cluster in the dendrogram with a 63.69% similarity while Terengganu was in another cluster with a similarity of 8.01% from Kedah and Johor. The differences in the observed morphometry may be resulted from different trophic activities and/or habitat productiveness explored by each of the populations.

Keywords: Cobia; Malaysia; morphometric variation; population size; Rachycentron canadum

ABSTRAK

Haruan tasik Rachycentron canadum, adalah salah satu spesies akuakultur yang terkenal tetapi selalunya tidak menjadi tangkapan utama dalam perikanan. Hasil tangkapan ikan ini di Malaysia adalah antara yang tertinggi di seluruh dunia. Pengenalan stok dengan sifat morfologi yang unik adalah penting bagi pengurusan yang berkesan dan penggunaan yang lestari. Kepelbagaian morfometri antara tiga populasi haruan tasik dari Kedah, Terengganu dan Johor telah dikaji. Semua sifat morfometri boleh dikatakan menyumbang kepada kepelbagaian kerana semua unsur pada vektor Eigen pertama adalah positif. Analisis perbezaan telah menunjukkan bahawa panjang kepala (HD) dan panjang badan maksimum (MaxD) adalah paling ketara bagi populasi ini. Populasi haruan tasik dari Kedah dan Johor berada dalam satu kluster dendrogram dengan 63.69% persamaan manakala Terengganu berada dalam kelompok yang berlainan dengan persamaan sebanyak 8.01% dari Johor dan Kedah. Perbezaan yang diperhatikan pada morfometri tidak boleh diterjemahkan terus tetapi mungkin boleh menjadi keputusan bagi perbezaan aktiviti trofik dan produktiviti habitat bagi setiap populasi tersebut.

Kata kunci: Haruan tasik; Malaysia; Rachycentron canadum; saiz populasi; variasi morfometri

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*Corresponding author, email address: attaofeeq@gmail.com