Fish fauna of peatland waters in the middle Mahakam, Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Abstract
A field study was carried out to collect fish from the lake and
streams/rivers around the peatland from December 2020 to February 2021.
Fishing gears such as gillnet, snakehead pole and line, lift net, trap net
("sawaran", "julu"), and fish pot ("tokong", "pangilar", "bubu" or "lukah"
and "tempirai") were operated. Sampling sites, water velocities, and water
depth were measured using GPS Garmin 60 CSX, current meter hydrologic
velocity meter, and fishfinder Portable, respectively. Generally, water
velocities of streams measured were much more rapid than the lakes
ranging between 0.33 m/s (at water depth: 4.20 m) and 0,69 m/s (at water
depth: 6.80 m); and "not detected" (at water depth: 2.40 m) and 0.34 m/s
(at water depth: 1.20 m) respectively. Of 7,377 fish samples, there were 50
species discovered belonging to 19 families. Cyprinidae was the most
populated in individuals and species as well (1,022 Ind.; 21 taxa). It was
followed by Bagridae (63 Ind.; five taxa), Channidae (53 Ind.; three taxa),
Clariidae (10 Ind.; three taxa), Siluridae (403 Ind.; three taxa), while other
families had just one taxon. Diversity was observed higher in streams (35
species) than lakes (30 species). Local fishers are still performing
unselective fishing for feeding fish cage culture.