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Groupers are among the fish groups that are difficult to recognize due to their high morphological similarities. Therefore, molecular techniques, particularly DNA barcoding, are extensively utilized to differentiate this fish group. This study aimed to analyze and validate six grouper species belonging to the Epinephelidae family that were harvested from Langsa district waters in Aceh province, Indonesia, based on DNA barcode data. It was conducted from June to December 2021, with the fish specimens collected from fishers at fish landing sites and the fish market in Langsa City, Aceh province. A total of 22 grouper sequences belonging to six species were generated, namely Epinephelus coioides, E. bleekeri, E. malabaricus, E. erythrurus, E. sexfasciatus and Mycteroperca poecilonotus (formerly Epinephelus poecilonotus). Genetic distance within these species ranged from 0.10 to 0.73% (average: 0.40%). Notably, E. malabaricus and E. coioides exhibited the closest genetic kinship (4.07%), while E. sexfasciatus and M. poecilonotus displayed the greatest genetic distance (19.33%). This study provides the first DNA reference for grouper in Langsa district, Indonesia, with significant implications for future sustainable grouper management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Groupers are a commercial group of reef fish found worldwide in the warmer waters, including Indonesia. Epinephelus is one of the dominant genus in the Indonesian waters of the Aceh province waters, where three species Epinephelus areolatus , Ephinephelus fasciatus , and Ephinephelus merra are frequently caught by fishermen in the northern region. However, information on the morphological and genetic variations of the species are limited. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to document morphological and genetic variations of the species in addition to validate their taxonomic and kinship status. The specimens were collected from June to December 2020 at Lampulo fishing port Banda Aceh, Aceh, Indonesia. A total of 180 Epinephelus samples representing 60 samples of each species were used for the morphometric analysis. Of these, ten individuals were randomly taken for DNA analysis based on the Cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene. One-way ANOVA and Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) were performed to distinguish morphometric variations among species. Morphological analysis displayed that E. fasciatus and E. merra had high similarities, while E. areolatus was distinguished from others. The genetic analysis showed grouper samples were differentiated into three species namely of E. fasciatus, E. merra and E. areolatus. The closest genetic distance was between E. fasciatus and E. merra (12.81%), while the farthest genetic distance was between E. areolatus and E. merra (16.05%). The two methods used in this study can be used to validate the taxonomic status of a species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coral reef ecosystem is an important ecosystem; its existence has a very close relationship with the surrounding ecosystem and the reef fish community. The direct and indirect dependence of reef fish on coral reefs has become an important issue at the national and international levels. This study aimed to determine the characteristics of coral reef ecosystem conditions, the percentage of coral growth, identify the types of coral reefs, and the diversity of reef fish species on Gosong Island, Southwest Aceh. Coral reef biophysical characteristics were collected by measuring water quality, calculating the percentage of coral coverage using the Point Intercept Transect (PIT) method, and the abundance of reef fish using the Underwater Fish Visual Census (UFVC) method. The condition of average percentage of coral reefs in the waters of Gosong Island was in a good category (55%), found as many as 31 genera of hard corals included in the line transect. The percentage of base substrate that dominates other than live coral is dead coral with algae (DCA) of 28%. The average abundance of reef fish in Gosong Island waters is 11,260 ind/ha with an average reef fish biomass of 2074,095 kg/yield. The water quality results show good conditions for coral growth in location. Based on the analysis of the structure of the fish community found in the coral reef area, the results showed good results, so the research location became a good habitat for various types of fish associated with coral reef ecosystems on Gosong Island [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lutjanus commonly known as snappers are economical fishes in the world, including in Indonesia. They have high morphological similarities and are difficult to distinguish. Therefore, this study aimed to validate the taxonomic status and kinship of four dominant snappers harvested from the northern coastal waters of Aceh, Indonesia, namely Lutjanus bengalensis, Lutjanus kasmira, Lutjanus gibbus , and Lutjanus fulviflamma. The samples were collected from Pulo Aceh and Lampulo fish landings. A total of 60 samples of each species were used for morphometric analysis using the traditional morphometric approach, while five from each of them served as samples for the genetic analysis with the COI gene. Morphological analysis showed that the four fish species were categorized into 3 different groups, where L. bengalensis and L. kasmira were in the same group. The genetic analysis revealed that they were grouped into four different clades, but L. bengalensis and L. kasmira were located in the same sister clade, indicating genetic closeness. L. bengalensis , L. kasmira, L. gibbus, and L. fulviflamma had two, three, three, and four haplotypes, respectively. Based on the results, the COI gene successfully distinguished the four species of snapper, where L. bengalensis and L. kasmira had morphological and genetic similarities. Furthermore, L. fulviflamma had higher genetic diversity than the others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indonesia's Aceh Province is an earthquake-prone area due to its location on the Great Sumatran Fault (GSF). Currently, earthquake mitigation by the local government constantly refers to the regional seismic hazard maps. However, some sources of an earthquake in the province which had caused damage to buildings and loss of human life were not easily traced to the fault on the surface. Currently, the mapping activities related to the Sumatra fault lines are only focused on the mainland. In contrast, the continuity of the GSF fault in the area of the sea and surrounding islands is very rarely studied. Weh Island is inhabited by many communities and has become a popular tourism area. This study aims to map the regional and local fault structure on the Weh Island using the gravity model plus (GGMPlus) data. We used the GGMPlus data with a resolution of 200 m for detailed mapping of regional and local faults. The 3D inversion of the GGMPlus data was carried out to obtain density parameters using two models, namely Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) and Occam optimization. The 3D inversion describes the presence of high-density rock blocks. A density value ranging between 2.72 - 2.96 gr/cm³ is interpreted as rocks with andesite-basaltic lava composition and lava or pyroclastic breccias resulting from local volcanic products as the rocks creating the island. Therefore, the zone interpreted as a local fault had a smaller density value (2.5 - 2.65 gr/cm³) than the surrounding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coral hind grouper (Cephalopholis miniata) is one of the essential fisheries commodities in Indonesia and the Aceh region. However, scientific data on its morphometrics and biology are limited. This study aimed to observe the morphometric, meristic, length frequency distribution, sex ratio, gonad development stage, gonad somatic index, and fecundity of C. miniata fished from the northern coast of Aceh, Indonesia. The study was conducted from June 2020 to January 2021. Cephalopholis miniata samples were obtained from Pelabuhan Perikanan Samudera (PPS) Lampulo, Kuta Alam District, Banda Aceh, Indonesia. The samples were analyzed at the Laboratory of Genetics and Aquatic Biodiversity, Faculty of Marine Fisheries, Universitas Syiah Kuala. In total, 184 specimens of C. miniata were measured during this study. Out of 184, 60 samples were used in the morphological measurement. The results showed that the total length of C. miniata fish caught in the northern waters of Aceh ranged between 75-295 mm (average 211 ± 30 mm) and not yet reached the maximum size, with female fish dominating the samples. The gonadal maturity level mainly was stage II, with the peak of spawning occurring in October. The GSI value of C. miniata fish ranged from 0.01-4.77%, with the length at first mature of 205 mm TL. Besides, the total fecundity produced by C. miniata ranged from 7,126-279,785 eggs. The fecundity of C. miniata was positively correlated with the total length, body weight, and weight of the gonads. This study provides baseline data on the morphometric, meristic, and reproductive biology of grouper C. miniata in the northern waters of Aceh, beneficial as a reference for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cross-sectional survey was used to estimate the prevalence of infections with the Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV, Megalocytivirus), nervous necrosis virus (NNV, Betanodavirus), and infestations with ectoparasites during the rainy season in juvenile grouper (Epinephelus spp.) farmed in Aceh, Indonesia. The survey was intended to detect aquatic pathogens present at 10% prevalence with 95% confidence, assuming 100% sensitivity and specificity using a sample size of 30 for each diagnostic test. Eight populations of grouper from seven farms were sampled. Additional targeted sampling was conducted for populations experiencing high mortality. Infection with NNV was detected at all farms with seven of the eight populations being positive. The apparent prevalence for NNV ranged from 0% (95% CI: 0–12) to 73% (95% CI: 54–88). All of the fish tested from the targeted samples (Populations 9 and 10) were positive for NNV and all had vacuolation of the brain and retina consistent with viral nervous necrosis (VNN). Coinfections with ISKNV were detected in five populations, with the highest apparent prevalence being 13% (95% CI: 4–31%). Trichodina sp., Cryptocaryonirritans and Gyrodactylus sp. were detected at three farms, with 66% to 100% of fish being infested. Hybrid grouper sourced from a hatchery were 5.4 and 24.9 times more likely to have a NNV infection and a higher parasite load compared to orange-spotted grouper collected from the wild (p < 0.001). This study found that VNN remains a high-impact disease in grouper nurseries in Aceh, Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]