Ornamental marine fish from the southern coast of Cilacap Central Java

Abstract

Cilacap has a high potential for marine fisheries. However, no scientific data is available on the potential of marine ornamental fish from that area. Here we reported the preliminary study of the potential of marine ornamental fish from the southern coast of Cilacap with particular emphasis on species richness. A survey method with incidental sampling was conducted. Fish samples bought from the fish collector in Sentolo Kawat Village, District of South Cilacap, at Cilacap City. The fish samples were collected in April, May, and July 2019. Taxonomic identification of the fish samples was referring to the available reference and validated to the data in FishBase. Identification based on color pattern and meristic characters by considering geographic ranges of the specimen placed the samples into 28 species, 12 families, and four orders. Chaetodontidae was the most abundant family with nine species. Most fish belonged to Perciformes. We obtained a lower number of species compared to the previous study for the south coast of Java. It could be due to the narrower sampling areas and limited sampling periods. Nevertheless, our result provides information about the potential of marine ornamental fish in Cilacap as among promising income sources for the Cilacap Regency. However, government intervention is necessary for the sustainable use of ornamental fish in the area.