Gonadosomatic index and distribution of some edible sea urchins in North Sulawesi waters, Indonesia

Abstract

Sea urchin, one of species model for developmental biological research, has recently become an established aquaculture species. The main product of this fauna, ‘roe’, is categorized as the most valuable seafood product. Despite their high commercial values, aquaculture development of edible sea urchins in Indonesia, particularly North Sulawesi, remains less documented. This study aimed to preliminary investigate reproductive performance through gonadosomatic index (GSI) and distribution of some edible sea urchin species in North Sulawesi waters. Four widely distributed species, Diadema setosum, Diadema savignyi, Echinothrix calamaris and Tripneustes gratilla, were collected from Makalisung, Kema, North Sulawesi and were subjected to shell diameter, body and gonad weight measurement. Among four species, T. gratilla demonstrated the highest mean of GSI (6.70±1.54%), body weight (124.30±6.58 g), shell diameter (66.20±1.30 mm) and gonad weight (8.14±1.61 g). In terms of distribution, D. setosum, D. savignyi and T. gratilla were the most distributed species in North Sulawesi waters with the density up to 35100, 24100 and 8400 individuals ha-1, respectively. Of the sampling locations, Kema showed the highest diversity and density of sea urchins. The findings of this study suggest that T. gratilla is a potential sea urchin species for aquaculture development in North Sulawesi. © 2024, BIOFLUX SRL. All rights reserved.