Sex ratio and maturity of orange-dotted tuskfish Choerodon anchorago Bloch, 1791 in Wallace Line at Spermonde Archipelago

Abstract

Orange-dotted tuskfish Choerodon anchorago was a Labridae family that could be found in coral reef and seagrass ecosystems. Orange-dotted tuskfish has a wide distribution in Indo-Pacific waters which has an important economic value that needs to be managed sustainably. This study aims to analyze the sex-ratio and maturity of orange-dotted tuskfish. The samples were collected from fishermen catches that were landed at the Rajawali Makassar Fishing Port at Makassar city. The orange-dotted tuskfish sex ratio was not balanced between males and female. Macroscopically, it was seen that orange-dotted tuskfish was a hermaphrodite. The synchronicity of maturity stages between male and female, both based on the sampling period, and the length class indicated that the process of reproduction, especially fertilization, was relatively safe. Female orange-dotted tuskfish that reach the first maturity earlier than male; suggest that orange-dotted tuskfish was most likely a protogyny.