Habitat utilization and feeding ecology of small round goby in a shallow brackish lagoon

Abstract

We examined small-scale distribution and feeding ecology of a non-native fish species, round goby (Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1814)), in different habitats of a coastal lagoon situated in the south-western Baltic Sea. First observations of round goby in this lagoon were reported in 2011, 3 years before the current study was conducted, and information on this species’ basic ecology in different habitats is limited. We found that mainly juvenile round gobies are non-randomly distributed between habitats and that abundances potentially correlate positively with vegetation density and thus structural complexity of the environment. Abundances were highest in shallower, more densely vegetated habitats indicating that these areas might act as a refuge for small round gobies by possibly offering decreased predation risk and better feeding resources. Round goby diet composition was distinct for several length classes suggesting an ontogenetic diet shift concerning crustacean prey taxa between small (≤ 50 mm total length, feeding mainly on zooplankton) and medium individuals (51–100 mm, feeding mainly on benthic crustaceans) and another diet shift of increasing molluscivory with increasing body size across all length classes. Differences in round goby diet between habitats within the smallest length class might potentially be related to prey availability in the environment, which would point to an opportunistic feeding strategy. Here, we offer new insights into the basic ecology of round goby in littoral habitats, providing a better understanding of the ecological role of this invasive species in its non-native range, which might help to assess potential consequences for native fauna and ecosystems.

Habitat utilization and secondary production of the sharp-nosed sand goby Favonigobius gymnauchen around intertidal areas

“…Congeneric species fed mainly on polychaetes and crustaceans (Gill and Potter 1993) or copepods and decapods (Chargulaf et al 2011), thereby indicating that Favonigobius species are opportunistic carnivores. In addition, the presence of copepods in the diet was greater in smaller individuals, whereas the presence of polychaetes in the diet was greater in larger individuals, as suggested by the GLM, thereby demonstrating an ontogenetic diet shift from small to large prey in F. gymnauchen, similar to that observed in the round goby Neogobius melanostomus (Henseler et al 2020). Such size-related feeding habits may explain the differences in body size distribution between habitats.…”

Diet composition and feeding strategy of larvae and juveniles of green riffle goby, Stiphodon elegans in Cimaja Estuary, Indonesia

“…Thus, fish larvae and juveniles need food as a catabolic material to obtain energy [3]. The recruitment of fish larvae and juveniles of amphidromous fish into the river ecosystem is carried out by attaching to rocks and, at the same time, consuming phytobenthic and zoobenthic that are also attached to rocks [40].…”