Reproductive biology of red-tailed goby (Sicyopterus lagocephalus, Pallas 1770) as migratory fish in Cibareno River, Sukabumi, West Java

Abstract

The red-tailed goby (Sicyopterus lagocephalus) is an Indonesian endemic fish that can be found in the Cibareno River. The red-tailed goby is an amphibious fish. The dam construction plan in Cibareno River is expected to affect the reproduction pattern and survival of red-tailed goby. This study aims to analyse the reproductive biology of long-tailed gobies (Sicyopterus lagocephalus, Pallas 1770). The study was conducted over four months (May, June, July and September 2022) in Cibareno River, Sukabumi, West Java using purposive sampling method. A total of 163 fish samples were caught during the study, consisting of 106 males and 57 females. The total length range of fish caught was 32 mm to 150 mm. The sex ratio of male and female fish was 1:0.54 (unbalanced). Fish condition factor ranged from 1–1.6. The month of May and the downstream part of the river are thought to be the peak of S. lagocephalus spawning characterized by the highest gonadsomatix index in that month and location. The spawning pattern of S. lagocephalus is total spawner. The construction of the dam had an impact on the spawning migration of S. lagocephalus to the downstream of the river being blocked. In addition, S. lagocephalus in the downstream of the river are also prevented from migrating upstream to forage.