Akumulasi Logam Berat Merkuri pada Ikan Tembang (Sardinella fimbriata Valenciennes, 1847) Ditinjau dari Kebiasaan Makan di Perairan Selat Makassar

Abstract

The Fringe scale sardinella is a small pelagic fish that plays a strategic role in capture fisheries in the Makassar Strait. Information on the relationship between dietary habits and the accumulation of the heavy metal mercury (Hg) in various fish sizes is still relatively limited. Mercury is known as a heavy metal that is toxic, persistent, and capable of biomagnification in the food chain, thus potentially posing a risk to human health. This study aims to analyze the relationship between dietary habits and body size of Fringe scale sardinella and mercury content in fish muscle tissue. The study was conducted using a descriptive analytical method with a survey approach. Fringe scale sardinella samples were grouped into three size classes: small, medium, and large. Dietary habits were analyzed through identification of stomach contents, while mercury content was analyzed in muscle tissue using the SNI: 2354.6.2016 method. The results of the study showed a shift in the feeding habits of Fringe scale sardinella as their size increased, from the dominance of phytoplankton and micro zooplankton at small sizes to larger zooplankton at medium and large sizes, which was followed by variations in mercury content between fish sizes. The lowest mercury content was found in small fish (0.2676 ± 0.008 mg/kg), increased in medium-sized fish (0.3536 ± 0.010 mg/kg) as the maximum accumulation phase, and decreased again in large fish (0.2996 ± 0.004 mg/kg), which indicates the role of growth dilution effects and physiological mechanisms of fish in controlling mercury accumulation. The feeding habits and body size of Fringe scale sardinella closely related to mercury accumulation patterns, thus becoming an important aspect in assessing the risk of mercury contamination in fish resources in the Makassar Strait waters