Abstract:
The Three-spot gourami and other aquatic species were sampled from Martapura waters by using LED light traps. The trials consisted of 260-trap hauls with a submersion time of 2 h per night. Light traps sampling accounted for 212 specimens assigned to 12 species of 8 families. Trichogaster trichopterus and Pila scutata were frequently found in each individual trap throughout the sampling periods. Male and female T. trichopterus showed negative allometric growth. Other aquatic species like Macrobrachium sintangense and Enhydris enhydris were also recorded as additional scientific evidence. The continuous LED light traps seemed to be more effective in collecting specimens than the blinking ones for the most part. The trap fishing with colour LED lights significantly differed from control trap. The yield per unit effort (YPUE) for continuous LED light traps ranged from 4.20-33.10 and from 1.40-13.55 for the blinking ones. It is recognized that low catches in the present study were attributable to technical barriers and other external factors being faced. For future applications, the use of the continuous LED light traps is recommended.
