CHARACTERISTIC SIZE, SCAR AND GENE CO1 WHALE SHARKS (Rhincodon typus ) IN CENDRAWASIH BAY NATIONAL PARK

Abstract

The whale sharks in Cendrawasih Bay National Park brought tourist activities of whale sharks there and the activity fishing “Bagan” being within the whale sharks aggregation brought the potential adverse interactions whale sharks of travelers in violation of code of conduct interact with whale sharks and the fishermen who deal directly or indirectly with whale sharks. This study want to uncover characteristic of whale sharks in terms of body size, scar and genetic cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) of whale sharks in Cendrawasih Bay National Park. This study has been carried out February until May 2018 by taking the data to identify individual (Photo-Id) and a photograph of the injured and samples the skin of whale sharks in the scope Sowa Village, Akudiomi Village (Kwatisore), Yaur Village in Nabire District, Papua Province. The whale sharks who found a total of 21 and all of individual is male. Individual found 14 individuals old have been found and seven individuals in previous studies make about 150 individuals who have been identify in there. Whale sharks found the length of the body have a range 2 meters long up to 5 meters with average 3,78 meters. There are 11 individuals suffered found with scar and 8 individuals were not. The wound dominated on the part of scar on tail of 5 individuals. Genetic analysis of whale sharks that tested in three individuals that is ID 069, ID147, ID148 represent all whale sharks there ascertained that three species have Rhincodon typus with a resemblance genes CO1 92-100% from BLAST in NCBI. Genetic distance between any individual was is very near namely until 0,00. Composition bases of nucleotides found showed the number of Cytosine is 22,1, Adenine were 29,3, Guanine were 15,7 and Thymine were 32,8.