Pemanfaatan Fungi Aspergillus Sp. Dengan Dekomposisi Serasah Daun Rhizophora Mucronata Sebagai Sumber Pakan Ikan Bandeng Di Belawan Pulau Sicanang

Abstract

Mangrove is a potential food source for all biota living in the mangrove ecosystem. Biota or organisms living in the mangrove ecosystem seek food derived from the mangroves themselves. The litter produced by mangroves becomes a basic component of the food chain in the mangrove ecosystem itself. This research aims to study the utilization of Aspergillus sp. fungi in accelerating the decomposition process of leaf litter from Rhizophora mucronata and its potential as a natural feed source for milkfish (Chanoschanos). The litter was collected from a mangrove forest in Belawan Pulau Sicanang, Medan, and was applied with Aspergillus sp. isolates before being placed in a pond that had been seeded with 80 milkfish. The study was conducted over 90 days, observing the dry weight of the litter, identifying fungal species, assessing macro-benthic diversity, and monitoring the weight development of milkfish. The results showed that Aspergillus sp. fungi played a role in accelerating the decomposition process of the litter, indicated by a significant decrease in the dry weight of the litter. Three types of organisms were successfully isolated: Aspergillus sp., Aspergillus niger, and Penicillium sp., with the highest colonization frequency being Penicillium sp. Moreover, the natural feed from the decomposition of the litter was found to increase.