Personality‐dependent inter‐ and intraspecific foraging competition in the invasive round goby, Neogobius melanostomus

Abstract

This study examines the impact of boldness on foraging competition of the highly invasive round goby Neogobius melanostomus Pallas 1815. Individual risk tolerance, or boldness, was measured as the time to resume movement after a simulated predation strike. Fish that resumed movement faster were categorized as "bold," fish that took more time to resume movement were categorized as "shy" and those that fell in between these two categories were determined to have "intermediate" boldness.Competitive impacts of boldness in N. melanostomus were determined in a laboratory foraging experiment in which interspecific (juvenile Atlantic cod Gadus morhua Linnaeus 1758) and intraspecific (intermediate N. melanostomus) individuals were exposed to either bold or shy N. melanostomus competitors. G. morhua consumed fewer prey when competing with bold N. melanostomus than when competing with shy N. melanostomus, whereas intermediately bold N. melanostomus foraging was not affected by competitor boldness. Bold and shy N. melanostomus consumed similar amounts of prey, and the number of interactions between paired fish did not vary depending on the personality of N. melanostomus individuals. Therefore, intraspecific foraging competition was not found to be personality dependent. This study provides evidence that individual differences in boldness can mediate competitive interactions in N. melanostomus; nonetheless, results also show that competition is also governed by other mechanisms that require further study.

Risk Perception: Chemical Stimuli in Predator Detection and Feeding Behaviour of the Invasive Round Goby Neogobius melanostomus

“…Our study sheds light on the behaviour of round gobies within this framework and suggests that it is an adaptation aiding its invasiveness success [ 119 ]. This behaviour matches previous research on round goby boldness [ 120 , 121 , 122 ] and how this trait influences its foraging ability [ 123 , 124 ]. It also facilitates the effective exploitation of available food resources with a visible superiority of bolder individuals over shy ones when it comes to resource usage [ 125 ] when invading new areas.…”

Aerobic metabolic scope mapping of an invasive fish species with global warming

“…The increasing importance of round goby into the Baltic trophic chain ( Karlson et al , 2007 ; Ojaveer et al , 2015 ; Oesterwind et al , 2017 ; Ericsson et al , 2021 ; van Deurs et al , 2021 ; Behrens et al , 2022 ) makes the management of this invasive species a priority for biological conservation. In this context, ecological modelling offers numerous approaches and techniques for predicting future spatial distribution of invasive species and suggesting effective management strategies.…”

“…The round goby was introduced from its native range in the Ponto-Caspian region into temperate ecosystems throughout Europe and North America. This species has produced vast ecological impacts in colonized environments including the alteration of benthic invertebrate composition through predation ( van Deurs et al , 2021 ), predation on native fish eggs ( Oesterwind et al , 2017 ) and competition with native fish for food, shelter and spawning grounds ( Karlson et al , 2007 ; Ericsson et al , 2021 ; Behrens et al , 2022 ). Although the round goby exhibits a eurythermal AMS, its dispersal is likely limited to areas where temperatures allow for it to be competitive ( Christensen et al , 2021 ).…”

Effects of Turbidity and Habitat Complexity on the Foraging Behavior of the Black Bullhead (Ameiurus melas)

“…Personality plays an important role in shaping the behavior of individuals, which in turn affects many aspects of their lives. For example, bold individuals may be more successful competitors in some context (Ericsson et al, 2021), but shy individuals can have decreased predation risk (Miyamoto & Araki, 2020). A relatively easily quantifiable personality trait, the explorative behavior has been studied across a variety of taxa in various contexts (Reader, 2015).…”