Nisbah Kelamin dan Ukuran Pertama Kali Matang Gonad Ikan Pepetek, Deveximentum insidiator (Bloch, 1787) di Pangkalan Pendaratan Ikan Beba, Kabupaten Takalar, Sulawesi Selatan = Sex Ratio and Size at First Gonad Maturity of Pugnose Ponyfish, Deveximentum insidiator (Bloch, 1787) at Beba Fish Landing Base, Takalar Regency, South Sulawesi

Background: Pugnose ponyfish (Deveximentum insidiator) is a resident of the Indo-Pacific and Western Central Atlantic coastal waters, where they play an important role in the ecosystem as prey and plankton consumers. Studies on reproductive biology such as sex ratio and size at first gonad maturity are essential to ensure the sustainability of these fishery resources. Objective: This study aims to analyze the reproductive aspects, namely the sex ratio and size at first gonad maturity of ponyfish (D. insidiator) at the Beba fish landing, Takalar Regency, South Sulawesi, over three months, namely October, November, and December 2024. Method: Pugnose ponyfish samples were obtained from fishermen's catches at the Beba Fish Landing Site (PPI Beba). Sex determination and gonad maturity level were carried out at the Fisheries Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Marine and Fisheries Sciences, Hasanuddin University. Results: The total number of fish obtained was 702 individuals, with 431 males and 271 females. The results showed a sex ratio of ponyfish of 1.59:1.00, with the size at first gonad maturity of 109.1 mm for males and 89.2 mm for females. Conclusion: The sex ratio obtained based on the sampling time and gonad maturity level showed significantly different or unbalanced results. The size at first gonad maturity of pugnose ponyfish indicated that females reached gonad maturity faster than males.

Keyword : Deveximentum insidiator, pugnose ponyfish, sex ratio, size at first gonad maturity; Beba Fish Landing Base.