Irfannur Irfannur, Syifa Saputra, Agung Setia Batubara, Siti Annisa Ramadhani, Muliari Muliari, Muhammad Radhi, Yusrizal Akmal, Ilham Zulfahmi
The east coast of Aceh Province, including Pidie, North Aceh, and Aceh Tamiang Regencies, is a producer of Decapod (Crustacea), a marine capture fishery commodity. Decapod fishing activities are suspected to be excessive on the east coast of Aceh Province. Therefore, this study aims to map resources, identify morphology, and morphometrics of Decapods in these waters, as an initial step toward supporting sustainable management. This study was conducted from June to September 2025. Sampling was carried out in the waters of North Aceh Regency (Site 1), Pidie Regency (Site 2), and Aceh Tamiang Regency (Site 3). The collected samples were then taken to the Mathematics and Natural Sciences Laboratory of Almuslim University for further analysis. The analysis carried out included morphological and morphometric identification. There are 8 Decapods species caught in the waters of the east coast of Aceh Province, including Charybdis feriata, Portunus sanguinolentus, Portunus pelagicus, Penaeus monodon, Metapenaeus monoceros, Penaeus merguiensis, Panulirus homarus, and Panulirus ornatus. In the North Aceh Regency, the species caught were Portunus sanguinolentus, Penaeus monodon, Metapenaeus monoceros, and Panulirus ornatus. In the Pidie Regency, the species caught were Portunus sanguinolentus, Charybdis feriata, Penaeus merguiensis, and Panulirus homarus. Furthermore, in the Aceh Tamiang Regency, the species caught were Portunus pelagicus, Penaeus monodon, Metapenaeus monoceros, and Penaeus merguiensis. This study addresses this gap by providing a comprehensive morphometric baseline and taxonomic identification of 8 commercially vital species. The results reveal notable morphological variability in Panulirus homarus and high habitat specificity for Charybdis feriata, highlighting the influence of local ecological conditions on population structure. These findings offer a novel contribution to regional fisheries management, serving as a critical reference for establishing sustainable exploitation limits in the Malacca Strait ecosystem. © 2026, Walailak University. All rights reserved.
Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Almuslim, Bireuen, Indonesia; Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Almuslim, Bireuen, Indonesia; Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, North Sumatra, Medan, Indonesia; Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Malikussaleh, Aceh Utara, Indonesia; Department of Fisheries Resources Utilization, Faculty of Marine and Fisheries, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
