Site-specific morphological and nutritional variability of Caulerpa lentillifera in Malaysia: a chemometric approach for tropical aquaculture

Ahmad Nasir, Nor Atikah Husna and Yuswan, Mohd Hafis and Abd Karim Shah, Nor Nadiah and Abd Rashed, Aswir and Kadota, Kazunori and Abdullah Sani, Muhamad Shirwan and Ismail, Mohd Fakhrulddin and Al-Awaadh, Alhussein M. and Riaz, Mian Nadeem and Yusof, Yus Aniza (2026) Site-specific morphological and nutritional variability of Caulerpa lentillifera in Malaysia: a chemometric approach for tropical aquaculture. Pertanika Journal Tropical Agricultural Science, 49 (1). 319 -337. E-ISSN 2231-8542

PDF - Published Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (1MB) | Request a copy

Abstract

Caulerpa lentillifera is an important tropical green macroalgae cultivated and harvested across Southeast Asia. Nevertheless, its morphological and biochemical responses towards varying environmental conditions remain insufficiently discussed. This study aimed to characterise the site-specific morphological, nutritional, and mineral variability of C. lentillifera collected from three Malaysian populations. Samples were harvested from wild populations in Port Dickson (PD) and Semporna (SS), and from a cultured pond population from Pulau Langkawi (PL). This study also applied chemometric methods to identify unique compositional patterns relevant to tropical aquaculture. Morphological and proximate analyses found that the PL sample has an assimilator length of up to 94 mm and a moisture content of 96% (wet weight basis), whereas PD samples had higher total nitrogen content (1.36 mg/L), crude fiber (3.45 g/100 g), and rhizoid length (13.8 mm), indicating site-related variability. Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA), and hierarchical heatmaps were used to integrate water-quality, morphometric, nutritional, mineral, and heavy-metal datasets and to visualise site-specific clustering patterns. The PCA explained 62.5% of the total variance, and the PLS-DA model showed clear, yet descriptive, group separation (R² and Q² > 0.9; p = 0.001). The fibre, calcium, and carbohydrates were identified as the main discriminant factors. Overall, the analyses revealed distinct site-associated compositional trends rather than definitive classifications. These findings provide baseline insights to guide future site selection and cultivation strategies for sustainable tropical aquaculture.

Item Type:	Article (Journal)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Caulerpa lentillifera, chemometric analysis, morphological plasticity, proximate composition, sea grape, site-specific
Subjects:	Q Science > QD Chemistry
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART)
Depositing User:	Muhamad Shirwan Abdullah Sani
Date Deposited:	12 Mar 2026 13:19
Last Modified:	12 Mar 2026 13:19
Queue Number:	2026-03-Q2502
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/127850

Actions (login required)

View Item