Update on fish community in the mangrove ecosystems of Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatra, Indonesia, with the addition of the first record of the genus Bostrychus

Abstract

Mangrove ecosystem is one of the unique ecological niches and the ideal habitat for several groups of fishes. The total area of mangroves in Indonesia is estimated at 3,489,140.68 ha. Although many studies have been conducted, there are still many fish species of this ecosystem that have not been revealed. This study aims to determine the fish community in several mangrove hotspots in Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatra. Specimen collection was carried out in May-June 2021 by using various fishing gears including hand net, seine net, and gill net. Water parameters, e.g., pH, salinity, and temperature, were also measured. This research has succeeded in collecting 31 fish species consisting of 20 families and 26 genera with a total of 145 individuals. Gobiidae and Butidae are the two most abundant families in term of number of species with 7 and 4 species, respectively. The remaining families each were represented by 1 species. Oryzias javanicus, Planiliza subviridis, and Ambassis macracanthus had the highest relative abundance values compared to other species. This study also found the first record for Bostrychus cf. scalaris from Indonesian water which B. scalaris was previously known only from Peninsular Malaysia.