Determination of condition factor (cf) and Hepatosomatic Index (hsi) of Barbonymus Schwanenfeldii from the Sungai Galas, Dabong, Kelantan

The purpose of this study is to determine the condition factor and hepatosomatic index of freshwater fish from the Sungai Galas, Dabong. The study also aims to assess the knowledge on fish health issues among local communities. The freshwater fish chosen is tinfoil barb (Barbonymus schwanenfeldii) of variable sizes ranging from 319.04 - 455.83 g in weight and 28.1 – 35.7 cm in total length which purchased from the different local fishermen of Sungai Galas, Dabong. The condition factor and hepatosomatic index of Barbonymus schwanenfeldii in the Sungai Galas was studied for a period of three months (July-September 2016). From a sample size of 20 specimens, the average K value was 1.15 ± 0.21 and the average of HSI value was 2.32 ± 0.13, indicating that the fish species was in poor condition. The heavy metal accumulation could be contributed to the poor condition of fish species where the high concentration of heavy metals can decelerate the growth and development of fish, particularly the developmental stages that resulting in possible changes in fish size. Other than that, majority of the local communities have limited knowledge on fish health issues due to the limited of accessible advisory information and lack of health information exposure.