Comparative anatomical study of gill fish of Tor tambra, Tor soro, and Hampala macrolepidota as an environmental bioindicator

Abstract

Gills are respiratory organs and bioindicators of environmental pollution since they are directly related to the environment. This study aims to examine anatomical differences in the gills of Tor tambra, Tor soro, and Hampala macrolepidota. This study used 5 fish with an average weight of 2-5 kg collected from the Tangse River area, Pidie Regency, Aceh and the Bahorok River area, Langkat Regency, North Sumatra. The research step comprised sampling, transportation, dissection, photo shooting and editing, morphological analysis and data analysis. Morphological studies were observed from the shape, location, and the number of each gill. Data were analyzed descriptively in the form of tables and figures. Results of morphological comparison showed that the fish’s gill apparatus consisted of arcus branchialis, filamen branchialis and branchiospinalis. In T. tambra and T. soro, the shape of the arcus branchialis resembled inverted L-like curve, compared to H. macrolepidota which resembled a crescent moon. Each filamen branchialis sheet of T. tambra was sparse, while T. Soro was denser and H. macrolepidota had shorter filament. T. tambra and T. soro had a sharp and dense branchiospinalis compared to H. macrolepidota which was pointed and sparse. The ceratobranchialis raker of H. macrolepidota fish was not developed compared to that of T. tambra and T. soro which were more developed.