MORPHOMETRIC AND MERISTIC CHARACTERISTICS OF (THE BARONANG FISHSTREAMLINED SPINEFOOT, Siganus argenteus) (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) IN THE SPERMONDE ISLANDS, SOUTH SULAWESI

Abstract

Siganus argenteus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) is a reef herbivore that plays an important ecological role and has high economic value in coastal areas. This study aims to analyze the morphometric and meristic characteristics of S. argenteus in the Spermonde Islands, South Sulawesi. A total of 50 individuals were collected in January-February 2026 at the Paotere Fish Landing Site, Makassar. Analysis was conducted using morphometric, meristic, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) approaches. Results showed that total fish length ranged from 174.7–214.2 mm with a mean of 192 mm, and standard length ranged from 144.4-192.7 mm with a mean of 159.4 mm. Meristic characters were relatively stable, namely (XIII) dorsal fin spines, (10) dorsal fin rays, VII anal fin spines, 9 anal fin rays, II ventral spines, and 3 ventral rays, while variation was found in the pectoral fin rays (15-18) and caudal fin rays (17-21). PCA results showed that Principal Component 1 accounted for 99.03% of the morphometric variation, with the Pre-dorsal Length (Pdl) character as the primary contributor. The low variation in Principal Component 2 (0.42%) indicates morphological homogeneity among individuals. The results indicate that the morphometric variation in S. argenteus is more influenced by body size than by differences in body shape.