Identifying the Diversity of Freshwater Aquatic Species in Tasik Ghazali, UKM using Taxonomy Analysis

Abstract

Studies on the diversity of freshwater aquatic life are important so that their ecosystems can be understood and protected. Over the years, various infrastructure and developments have been built in UKM that could affect the ecosystem in the surrounding area. The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution of aquatic life in Tasik Ghazali, UKM caught using three active and passive fishing gears. A total of 1,268 samples of freshwater aquatic life were successfully collected on five different sampling activities. The results of morphological observations categorize these catches into eight species, namely Poecilia reticulata, Gambusia affinis, Puntius sp., Betta pugnax, Clarias batrachus, Macrobrachium lanchesteri, Macrobrachium malayanum, and Gyraulus sp. Of this total, the most caught fish species is the Puntius sp. (464) while Clarias batrachus is the least caught (7). Finally, the total of other aquatic species caught were Macrobrachium sp. (294) and Gyraulus sp. (7).