The Morphological Structure of Gatul Fish (Poecilia reticulata) in Small

Stream in Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, State University of

Malang

Nuzula Khoirun Nafsiah1, Oki Osaka Herlinawati1, Safrida Hidayatul Azizah1

1

Biology Department, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural sciences, State University of

Malang , Malang, Indonesia

Abstract
This study aim to describe the morphological structure of male and female gatul fish
(Poecilia Reticulata). The sampel taken from small streams in the Faculty of Mathematics
and Natural Sciences, State University of Malang. The study was conducted by observing the
morphological structure of female and male gatul fish that include morphological aspects: the
location of the body parts, body size, body color, types of scales, fin-type, the type of tail and
the fundamental difference between males and female gatul fish. From this study, the results
showed that the general characteristics of the fish is has small scales like a net, has a pair of
eyes that located in the head on right and left sides of the body, the shape of tail is tapered
tail, the colour scales of lower abdomen is white, the colour of the scale of the head to the
upper abdomen is black, and the colour of rear body to tail is transparent. However, the
morphological structure of the male and female Gatul fish have difference. Male gatul fish
has two pairs of black spots on its body and its body shape is slim. But, female gatul fish do
not have spots and its body is biger than female gatul fish with a big white abdomen. The
color male gatul fish is more attractive than female gatul fish. This attractive colors are used
to attract the attention of female gatul fish.
Keywords: Gatul fish, the difference morphological between male and female gatul fish,
attractive color.

Introduction
Gatul fish (Poecilia Reticulata) is a
small colourful species of freshwater
tropical fish that is found naturally in the
rivers and lakes of South America Based
on the clasification system, gatul fish is
included on animalia kingdom, Chordata
Phylum,
Actinopterygii
class,
Cyprinodontiformes order, Poeciliidae
family and Poecilia genus (Anonim,
2008).
The distribution of gatul fish is in
South America: Venezuela, Barbados,
Trinidad, northern Brazil and the Guyanas.
Widely introduced and established in many
country, mainly for mosquito control, but

had rare to non-existing effects on

mosquitoes, and negative to perhaps
neutral effects on native fishes. In Africa,
Feral populations reported from the coastal
reaches of Natal rivers from Durban
southwards, as well as in the Kuruman Eye
and Lake Otjikoto in Namibia. Several
countries report adverse ecological impact
after introduction (Peter, without year)
Materials and Method
The Samples Gatul fish (Poecilia
reticulata) were taken from a small stream
behind the O2 building in Faculty of
Mathematics and Natural Sciences, State
University of Malang on Friday, 31st

October, 2014. Gatul fish that lives on the

surface of the water is taken by large
bucket, then take two samples of fish, a
male gatul fish and a female gatul fish.
This research is a descriptive study
of the morphological structure Gatul fish
(Poecilia
reticulata).
Morphological
aspects in this research included: the
location of the body parts, body size, body
color, types of scales, fin-type, the type of
the tail and the fundamental difference
between males and females.

a
b
c
d

e
Result and Discussion
From two gatul fish who studied,
there are two sexes i.e male and female.
Female gatul fish and male gatul fish have
different
morphological
structure.
Morphological structure of the male gatul
fish is has body length of 2.4 cm and width
of his body is 0.5 cm. on the body of the
male fish there are two pairs of round spots
irregularly shaped black and silver color
surrounded. The location of these spots is
below the dorsal fin and the other is above
the anal fin. This male fish has bright
attractive colors. Its bright colors is
intended to attract female fish. Gatul male
fish has two pairs of fins, a pair of fins
located on the bottom fin, while another
pair of fins located on the right and left
sides of the body at the back of the head,
usually referred to the pectoral fins. The
location of the eyes are in the head on right
and left sides of the body. The shape of the
tail is tapered, filamentous unidirectional
and unite. This tail type called diphycercal.
its skin covered by the fine scales shaped
nets called placoid scales, the color of the
skin of the head to the upper abdomen is
black, while the color of the back of the
body to the tail is transparent so that the
internal organs of fish gatul visible from
the outside. Fish gatul male move more
active than female.

f
g

Figure 1. The part of Gatul fish body. Male gatul

fish (A), female gatul fish (C). Black
spot on male gatul fish body (a), mouth
(b), tail (c), bottom fins (d), left and right
side fins (e), big white abdomen on
female gatul fish (f), 3 bottom fins on
female gatul fish (g).

Female gatul fish has different

characteristics from the male. Female has a
larger size than the male, with a body
length of 3 cm and a width of 0.7 cm body.
female fish have a big abdomen, distended
and white. Female fish do not have black
spots like the male. In female fish, the
color of its lower abdomen is white, the
color of the skin of the head to the upper
abdomen is black, while the color of the
back of the body to the tail is transparent
so that the internal organs of gatul fish
visible from the outside. The color of
female fish is more unattractive than the
male fish. Its body was covered with fine
scales shaped like nets. Female fish has
two pairs of fins, a pair of fins located on
the bottom of the fin, while another pair of
fins located on the right and left of the
body behind the head, usually referred to
the pectoral fins. Moreover female fish has
an additional fin located behind the anus.
The location of the eyes are in the head on
right and left sides of the body. The shape
of the tail is tapered, filamentous
unidirectional and unite. This tail type
called diphycercal.

References
Anonim. 2008. Guppy. Word Wide Web
electronic publication. Available at:
http://a-zanimals.com/animals/guppy/
(accessed on 9 November 2014)
Peters. Without year. Poecilia reticulata.
World Wide Web electronic
publication. Available at:
http://www.seriouslyfish.com/specie

s/poecilia-reticulata/ (accessed on 9
November 2014)