SUMMARY
Waduk Penjalin adalah salah satu waduk di Kabupaten Brebes yang potensial untuk program perikanan tangkap berbasis budidaya (Culture Based Fisheries/CBF) setelah program tersebut sukses dilakukan di Waduk Malahayu. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji kelayakan penebaran ikan untuk pengembangan CBF di Waduk Penjalin dari beberapa aspek ekologi perairan. Survei lapangan dilakukan di Waduk Penjalin, Kabupaten Brebes pada bulan Mei, September dan Desember 2021 pada tujuh stasiun pengamatan. Kualitas air dukur secara in situ dan ex situ. Komunitas ikan diamati dengan percobaan penangkapan dan hasil tangkapan nelayan. Analisis data kualitas air dilakukan secara deskriptif. Indeks STORET digunakan untuk mengetahui status perairan. Komunitas ikan dianalisis dengan indeks relatif penting, kebiasaan makanan, luas relung dan tumpang tindih relung. Hasil pengamatan menunjukkan bahwa kualitas air di Waduk Penjalin masih mendukung terhadap kehidupan ikan. Luas waduk yang relatif kecil, kualitas air yang berstatus sedang dan tingkat kesuburan eutrofik berpotensi mendukung terhadap implementasi CBF. Komunitas ikan di waduk tersebut terdiri atas sembilan jenis ikan yang didominasi oleh jenis ikan introduksi (55,56%). Luas relung makanan beberapa jenis ikan dominan cenderung menunjukkan karakter spesialis. Secara ekologi, Waduk Penjalin berpotensi untuk dilakukan penebaran ikan, terutama untuk jenis ikan-ikan herbivora/planktivora mengingat status perairan yang subur.Penjalin Reservoir is one of the reservoirs in Brebes Regency that has the potential for a culture-based fisheries (CBF) program after being successfully implemented in Malahayu Reservoir. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of stocking fish for CBF implementation in the Penjalin Reservoir from several aspects of aquatic ecology. The field survey was conducted at seven observation stations in Penjalin Reservoir, Brebes Regency in May, September and December 2021. Water quality was examined in-situ and ex-situ. The fish community was observed by catch-experimenting and from fishers’ catch. Water quality data analysis was carried out descriptively. The STORET index was used to determine the status of the waters. Fish communities were analyzed by relative importance index, food habits, niche breadth, and niche overlap. The results showed that the water quality in the Penjalin Reservoir was still supported for fish living. The relatively small reservoir area, moderate water quality, and eutrophic status had the potential to support the implementation of CBF. The fish community in the reservoir consists of nine species of fish which were dominated by introduced fish species (55.56%). The food niche breadth of several dominant fish species tended to the specialist character. Ecologically, the Penjalin Reservoir had the potential for stocking fish, especially for herbivore/planktivore fish species considering the status of eutrophic waters.