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Microplastic Analysis in Fish Larvae (Family: Gonostomatidae and Myctophidae) from the Banggai Sea, Indonesia
Summary
Scientists found tiny plastic fibers (mostly from PET, a common plastic used in bottles and packaging) inside baby fish from Indonesian waters, with even the smallest fish larvae swallowing several plastic particles each. This matters because these larvae are near the bottom of the ocean food chain—meaning the plastic they eat can work its way up through bigger fish and eventually onto our plates, adding another route by which microplastics may enter the seafood we consume.
Microplastic pollution is recognized as a threat to marine ecosystems, yet its impacts on early life stages of mesopelagic fishes remain poorly understood. This study investigated the occurrence and characteristics of microplastic ingestion in fish larvae of the families Myctophidae and Gonostomatidae from the Banggai Sea, Indonesia. Morphometric measurements and microplastic content were analyzed in 40 larvae (20 per family). Gonostomatidae larvae, despite being smaller in total length, exhibited significantly larger mouth widths and ingested more microplastic particles (mean = 3.90 ± 0.72 particles) than Myctophidae (mean = 3.40 ± 0.38 particles). Correlation analysis showed no significant relationships between morphometric traits and microplastic abundance. Transparent and purple particles dominated ingestion profiles, while red and black particles were detected only in Myctophidae. Fiber-shaped particles composed predominantly of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were the most abundant in both taxa. Statistical analyses (Mann–Whitney U, chi-square, and correspondence analysis) revealed significant differences in particle color composition between families (χ² = 23.73, p = 0.001; Cramér’s V = 0.403) but not in particle shape. These findings highlight that species-specific traits may influence microplastic exposure during early developmental stages, providing new insights into pollution pathways affecting oceanic food webs in the Indo-Pacific deep-sea environment.