Species composition and diversity of fishes in the South China Sea, Area II: Sarawak, Sabah and Brunei Darussalam waters

Abstract

The collaborative research on species composition and diversity of fishes in the Sabah and Sarawak waters was carried out by using otter-board trawling, through K.K. Manchong, including taxonomic survey for commercial coastal fishes landed in the markets of Sarikei, Bintulu, Miri, Labuan and Kota Kinabalu. Totally 518 species from 24 orders and 108 families were obtained. Hundred and three economic species were obtained from trawling survey and 106 species from the markets. The station point at St. 33 and 48 is the highest species richness, 69 and 70 species found. The highest CPUE were obtained at St. 44 and 48 (196 and 144 kg). Demersal species form main composition of the catchs with the 9 dominant economic species. This trawling survey obtained few amount of 37 pelagic species. This survey also found the third record of Hapalogenys analis and Pomadasys auritus from the Southeast Asian waters.