SPECIES COMPOSITION OF FRESHWATER EELS (Anguilla spp.) IN EIGHT RIVERS FLOWING TO PALABUHANRATU BAY, SUKABUMI, INDONESIA

Freshwater eel ( Anguillaspp.) is a catadromus fish that migrate s from freshwater in to seawater for spawning and return to freshwater during larvae stage to grow. Th e objective of this study was to determine species composition of tropical freshwater eels based on morphology collected from several rivers flowing in to the Palabuhan R atu Bay. Young, adult, and g lass eels were caught in August 2014 until Desember 2014. G lass eels were only caught in Cimandiri River. Freshwater eels were classified by ano-dorsal length (AD) divided by total length (TL), cluster analysis , and discriminant analysis based on morphometric data. The results showed different AD/TL of young and adult, i.e. , 1.93 ±0 . 51 for A . b icolorbicolor , and 16 . 99±0 . 65 for A . marmorata , and three different AD/TL of glass eels i.e., 1 . 72±1 . 05 for A . b icolorbicolor6 . 60±1 . 79 for A . nebulosanebulosa , and 15 . 07±1 . 04 for A . m armorata . Cluster analysis showed three groups of population  characters of young and adult eel s i.e.  A . b icolorbicolor (2 groups) and A . marmorata (1 group). Discriminant analysis showed three groups of glass eels population i.e., A . b icolorbicolor , A . n ebulosanebulosa , and A . marmorata . Morphological identification show ed that young and adult eel s in Cibareno  and Citepus river s ha d two species i.e., A. bicolor bicolor and A . m armorata . G lass eels from Cimandiri river ha d three species i.e. , A . b icolorbicolor , A . n ebulosanebulosa , and A . marmorata .A. bicolor bicolor was found in each rivers and as a dominant species in Palabuhan Ratu Bay.Keywords: A. bicolor bicolor , A. marmorata , A. nebulosa nebulosa , species composition