Nadya Tirta, Essy Harnelly, Rania Feranita Fachri, Putri Khairani Amalia Siregar, Nanda Muhammad Razi, Nanda Ulfa Khaira, Mutia Ramadhaniaty, Sri Riska Rahayu, Nurlita Putri Anggraini, Raissha Amanda Siregar, Adrian Damora, Nur Fadli
Soldierfish, a group of commercially important coral reef fishes from the genus Myripristis, are commonly caught by local fishermen in the waters of Aceh Besar, Indonesia. Despite their economic importance, limited information exists regarding their bioecological characteristics, particularly genetic and morphometric traits. This study aimed to investigate morphological and genetic variation among six Myripristis species: M. adusta, M. berndti, M. kuntee, M. murdjan, M. violacea, and M. vittata harvested in Aceh Besar waters, Indonesia. The research was conducted from August 2024 to March 2025. Fish samples were collected from five landing sites in Aceh Besar District, namely Pulo Aceh, Ujung Pancu, Lam Awe, Lhokseudu, and Lampulo. A total of 360 specimens were measured for morphometric analysis, with 60 individuals representing each species. Additionally, five individuals from each species were randomly selected for DNA analysis based on the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA). A Mantel test was performed to assess the correlation between genetic and morphometric distance matrices. Morphological analysis identified head length (HL) and eye diameter (ED) as key discriminating traits among species. Cross-validation of the DFA revealed a high degree of similarity between M. adusta and M. violacea. Genetic analysis validated the separation into six distinct species. The smallest genetic distance was observed between M. adusta and M. violacea (4.2 %), while the greatest distance was between M. murdjan and M. kuntee (8.5 %). A total of 23 haplotypes were identified across six species, the highest number of haplotypes in M. kuntee and M. murdjan each exhibited five haplotypes. Correlation analysis revealed no significant relationship between morphometric and genetic variation (r = 0.173; p > 0.05). These findings indicate that genetic approaches provide an effective tool for validating species-level taxonomic status within the genus Myripristis. © 2026 Elsevier GmbH
Master Program in Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, 23111, Indonesia; Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, 23111, Indonesia; Faculty of Marine and Fisheries, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, 23111, Indonesia; Laboratory of Genetics and Aquatic Biodiversity, Faculty of Marine and Fisheries, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, 23111, Indonesia
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