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Highlight Research • The leopard coral grouper Plectropomus leopardus was identified and analysed based on molecular approach. • Genetic diversity within two regions in Gorontalo, Sulawesi successfully performed using connectivity analysis. • Three haplotypes of Plectropomus leopardus from two region in Gorontalo as one of economical important marine fish species. Abstract Bar-cheek coral trout (P. leopardus) is the flagship of the grouper in the live fish market in Asia. Unfortunately, the potential of the grouper is still partly produced from natural catches. Even though hybridisation activities have also started to be carried out, there still have not been many studies on the genetic diversity of these fish. The application of molecular identification has been widely applied in marine aquatic animal species, which are very likely to occur due to errors in terms of shape and colour in the morphological character. DNA information has been beneficial in efforts to the breeding program and develop grouper aquaculture activities. DNA barcoding was used for the molecular identification and haplotype analysis of P. leopardus from two locations in Gorontalo, Sulawesi, Indonesia. A total of 14 fish samples were collected from two traditional fish markets around Kwandang and Sumalata Gulf in the northern part of Gorontalo Province, Sulawesi. This study identified and found three haplotypes from both regions. Molecular identification using Cytochrome c Oxidase subunit I (COI) gene region on mitochondrial DNA. Besides Mega7 for phylogenetic reconstruction, the data analysis using DnaSP6, Arlequin Ver.3.5.2.2, and Network 5.0.1.1. The first Haplotype is a mixed population between the Kwandang Gulf and the Sumalata Gulf, then the Kwandang Gulf haplotype and the Sumalata Gulf haplotype. The genetic distance between Kwandang Gulf haplotype and Sumalata Gulf haplotype is 0.003984, classified as a shallow genetic distance and needs more samples from another region to figure out leopard coral grouper around Indonesia.

Stingless bees are widely distributed in tropical regions including Indonesia, and currently three species of stingless bee have been recorded in the Moluccas. The aims of this study were to explore the species and distribution of stingless bees in the five islands in the Moluccas (Seram, Ambon, Haruku, Saparua, and Nusalaut island) and compare the morphometric variations of stingless bees within and among islands. The samples of stingless bees were identified based on twelve morphological characters, resulting in two species of Tetragonula fuscobalteata (Cameron) and T. sapiens. (Cockerell). T. fuscobalteata found to be a new record in the Moluccas, and showed significantly lower morphometric parameters compared to those of T. sapiens (P < 0.001). Based on non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis, the combination of twelve morphometric parameters between T. fuscobalteata and T. sapiens were significantly different. Almost all morphometric parameters of T. fuscobalteata showed highly varied among islands, except the width of gena of this stingless bees. T. fuscobalteata from Ambon, Haruku, Saparua, and Nusalaut were mostly clustered based on NMDS analysis, while those from Seram show high variations. This study found T. sapiens in three different islands, Seram, Ambon, and Haruku. Width of thorax, mesonotum, and propodeum length of T. sapiens were significantly different among these three islands (P < 0.001). This study has contributed to the new distribution data of T. fuscobalteata and T. sapiens in the Moluccas and showed variation of morphometric parameters of the two stingless bee species among islands in the Moluccas.

Human migration in prehistoric times strongly suggest very complex problems, which could be explained from various perspectives. This article attempts to explain fundamental aspect influencing the pattern of human migration in prehistoric times from Sunda Continent to Wallacean Zone. These aspects are, for example, environment, technology, culture and human being as a decision maker. Reconstructing interisland migration pattern of homo sapiens of hunter gatherer is not as easy as imagining interisland closest lines. This is because the focus of modern human migration is to search for a new area for exploiting natural resources.