Aggression and sociality: conflicting or complementary traits of a successful invader?

Behaviour ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 152 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline M. Capelle ◽  
Erin S. McCallum ◽  
Sigal Balshine
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
Invasion Biology ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Conspecific Density ◽  
Species Invasions ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Successful Invader ◽  
Forming Behaviour

Invasion biology research has identified two juxtaposing behavioural traits, aggressiveness and sociality, that may both increase the success of species invasions. Highly aggressive invaders can out-compete native species for resources, while social gregarious invaders can tolerate high conspecific density. In order to tease apart the effects of aggressive versus social tendencies on the success of invasive species, we studied round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), a highly successful invasive fish species now common in the Laurentian Great Lakes. While round goby are well known for being aggressive, much less is known about their tendency to affiliate with conspecifics, in spite of the fact that they thrive in extremely high densities in many of their invaded habitats. We collected round goby from Hamilton Harbour, ON, Canada and conducted three separate experiments to explore group-forming behaviour by measuring preference for conspecifics. We found that round goby have a strong preference to associate with a single conspecific, and that both males and females showed this preference. No overall preference was detected for large versus small groups of conspecifics. Females chose the safety of a shelter over associating with a conspecific but males were equally attracted to conspecifics as shelter. Our results provide new insight into how interactions between aggressive and social behaviours play a role in the rapid spread of invasive round goby.

Morphometric variability in round goby Neogobius melanostomus (Perciformes: Gobiidae) from the Sea of Azov

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 392-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
O.A. Diripasko ◽  
T.A. Zabroda
Keyword(s):  
Round Goby ◽  
Joint Effect ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Sea Of Azov ◽  
Morphometric Characters ◽  
One Dimensional ◽  
The Sea Of Azov ◽  
Size Dependent ◽  
Size Variability ◽  
Males And Females

A total of 38 morphometric characters of the round goby Neogobius melanostomus melanostomus (Pallas, 1814) were studied in its native range in the Sea of Azov. The aim was to assess joint effect of sexual dimorphism and size variability on overall variability within groups of samples (populations) using appropriate methods of traditional statistical analysis (one-dimensional and multivariate statistics). Sex and size-dependent variability was studied based on model samples of males and females of different size. Most of the studied morphometric characters of round goby from the Sea of Azov demonstrated statistically significant sex- and size-dependent in-group variability. The pattern of the variability suggests that, for a comparison of round goby from different sea regions and between populations, separate samples of males and females within the range 9–13 cm SL should be examined in order to minimise the effect of the size and sex factors. The approach of searching for the most informative size range could be useful not only for further studies of infraspecific variation but for comparisons between morphologically close gobiin species.

Round goby movement patterns in a non-navigable river

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 475-483
Author(s):  
Luděk Šlapanský ◽  
Michal Janáč ◽  
Kevin Roche ◽  
Pavel Jurajda
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Species Dispersal ◽  
Dispersal Patterns ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Movement Rates ◽  
Established Population ◽  
Future Management

Understanding non-native species dispersal is vital for their future management. The round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) has greatly extended its range since the 1990s, with commercial shipping being the main vector. However, our knowledge regarding their secondary dispersal from points of introduction is surprisingly limited. In this study, a series of field experiments were undertaken on a mid-sized river to assess goby dispersal patterns within an established population, following a simulated release of a large number of propagules, or at a simulated invasion front. Most of the established population remained stationary and just a few individuals undertook long-distance dispersal (principally upstream). Mean distance travelled was 1.1 m·day−1 (max. 29.6 m·day−1). While site fidelity appeared to last for most of the year (including winter), it was surprisingly relaxed during the spawning season. Concentrated release of a large number of propagules resulted in appreciably greater movement rates than in the established population, with upstream movement again dominating. In general, smaller, mostly male fish tended to move further and appeared as first colonizers in uninvaded areas.

scholarly journals Summer microhabitat use and overlap by the invasive Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus) and native darters in the Trent River (Ontario, Canada)

2019 ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Scott M. Reid
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
High Water ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Intermediate Water ◽  
Habitat Differences ◽  
Species Declines ◽  
Water Depths

Understanding the impacts of the invasive Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus) is important for North American native fish conservation. One proposed mechanism for native species declines is competition for habitat. In this study, summer habitat use by Round Goby and Channel Darter (Percina copelandi) and Logperch (P. caprodes) was studied in the Trent River (Canada). Spot-electrofishing and systematic habitat sampling were used to measure habitat availability and use. Suitability for all species varied across the range of habitat conditions. At Glen Ross, habitat suitability for Channel Darter and Round Goby was highest at intermediate water depths (0.2–0.6 m), lowest at high water velocities (> 1.0 ms−1) and increased with greater amounts of gravel and cobble. There were no significance habitat differences between capture locations of the two species. At Meyer's Reach, Logperch and Round Goby habitat suitability was highest at intermediate water depths (0.4–0.6 m) and where gravel and cobble were abundant. The relationship between suitability and water velocity differed between species, with moderate velocities less suitable for Round Goby. The amount of boulder and bedrock at capture locations of each species differed. Results indicate that competition for habitat with Round Goby will vary among darter species.

scholarly journals Comparison of Behavior and Space Use of the European Bullhead Cottus gobio and the Round Goby Neogobius melanostomus in a Simulated Natural Habitat

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 821
Author(s):  
Sara Roje ◽  
Bořek Drozd ◽  
Luise Richter ◽  
Jan Kubec ◽  
Zdeněk Polívka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
Space Use ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Invasion Success ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Cottus Gobio

The round goby is an invasive fish in Europe and North America that threatens native species by predation and competition. Its habitat preferences are similar to those of the European bullhead, which it displaces from shelters and out-competes for available resources. We assessed the microhabitat preferences, shelter use, and activity of the round goby and European bullhead in single-species experiments in habitat simulator systems to investigate their behavior in a novel environment. Fish were video-recorded for 28 h in the presence of shelter and feed with water velocity ranging from 0.00 to 0.96 m s−1. The two species showed similar behavior under given conditions. A primary difference was in stress-induced behavior in the initial phases of observation. The round goby spent more time in movement when outside the shelter and a longer time in the escape zone in the exploration period during light. Our results confirmed a significant preference of round goby for low velocity areas and a preference for higher velocities in the European bullhead. Both species were able to cope with velocities > 0.7 m s−1. Therefore, the reported invasion success of round goby is probably not driven by space use or activity patterns, but rather by higher adaptability.

scholarly journals Estimating salinity stress via hsp70 expression in the invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus): implications for further range expansion

Hydrobiologia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 848 (2) ◽  
pp. 421-429
Author(s):  
R. Puntila-Dodd ◽  
D. Bekkevold ◽  
J. W. Behrens
Keyword(s):  
Fresh Water ◽  
Range Expansion ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Hsp70 Expression ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Abiotic Conditions ◽  
Species Invasions ◽  
Shock Proteins

AbstractSpecies invasions often occur on coasts and estuaries where abiotic conditions vary, e.g. salinity, temperature, runoff etc. Successful establishment and dispersal of non-indigenous species in many such systems are poorly understood, partially since the species tend to show genetic and ecological plasticity at population level towards many abiotic conditions, including salinity tolerance. Plasticity may be driven by shifting expression of heat shock proteins such as Hsp70, which is widely recognized as indicator of physical stress. In this study, we developed a qPCR assay for expression of the hsp70 gene in the invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) and tested the expression response of fish collected from a brackish environment in the western Baltic Sea to three different salinities, 0, 10 and 30. hsp70 expression was highest in fresh water, indicating higher stress, and lower at brackish (ambient condition for the sampled population) and oceanic salinities, suggestive of low stress response to salinities above the population’s current distribution. The highest stress in fresh water was surprising since populations in fresh water exist, e.g. large European rivers and Laurentian Great Lakes. The results have implications to predictions for the species’ plasticity potential and possible range expansion of the species into other salinity regimes.

scholarly journals Ecological responses to elevated water temperatures across invasive populations of the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) in the Great Lakes basin

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Bauer Reid ◽  
Anthony Ricciardi
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Climate Warming ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Acclimation Temperature ◽  
Feeding Rates ◽  
Western Basin ◽  
St Lawrence River

Climate warming is expected to alter the distribution, abundance, and impact of non-native species in aquatic ecosystems. In laboratory experiments, we measured the maximum feeding rate and critical thermal maximum (CTmax) of an invasive Eurasian fish, the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), acclimated to a range of temperatures (18–28°C) reflecting current and projected future thermal conditions for the nearshore Great Lakes. Fish were collected from four distinct populations along a latitudinal gradient from the western basin of Lake Erie to Hamilton Harbour (Lake Ontario) and the upper St. Lawrence River. Thermal tolerance increased with acclimation temperature for populations in lakes Erie and Ontario. However, the St. Lawrence River populations had lower acclimation capacity and exhibited an unexpected decline in CTmax at the highest acclimation temperature. Maximum feeding rates peaked at 18–24°C and declined with temperatures above 24°C. Northern populations in the basin appear poorly adapted to elevated temperatures such that their performance and impact could be reduced by climate warming. Thermal response data from latitudinally distributed populations are needed to inform invasive species risk assessment.

Forecasting the distribution of the invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) in Wisconsin tributaries to Lake Michigan

2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 553-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew S. Kornis ◽  
M. Jake Vander Zanden
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Small Streams ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Round Gobies ◽  
Watershed Slope

The Laurentian Great Lakes host more than 180 non-native species, including several that have resulted in major economic and ecological effects. This list includes the round goby ( Neogobius melanostomus ), an aggressive, benthic Ponto-Caspian fish that has established large populations in coastal Great Lakes habitats. Here, we document the inland dispersal of round gobies into Wisconsin tributaries of Lake Michigan. Round gobies were detected in 26 of 73 streams (36%) and found >10 km upstream of Lake Michigan in nine watersheds. Round goby presence–absence was modeled using landscape-scale data from these invaded streams. We forecasted the future spread of round goby within Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan basin using our best model (80% accuracy), which included watershed area, stream gradient, and watershed slope as predictors. Round gobies were predicted to invade 1369 km of stream habitat up to the first stream barrier, and 8878 km of stream was identified as suitable looking beyond barriers at the broader Lake Michigan watershed (Wisconsin only). Our results depict the Great Lakes as a springboard for invasive species to disperse into inland ecosystems and, because round gobies are not usually reported in small streams in their native range, emphasize the utility of data from invaded regions when forecasting invasive species distributions.

scholarly journals Feeding activity and diet composition of round goby (Neogobius melanostomus, Pallas 1814) in the coastal waters of SE Baltic Sea

2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Artūras Skabeikis ◽  
Jūratė Lesutienė
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Macoma Balthica ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
Benthic Fauna ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
The Body ◽  
Gut Contents

AbstractFeeding activity and diet composition of round goby were investigated in the south-eastern Baltic Sea, the Lithuanian coastal waters during May-October 2012 in order to determine main feeding objects and seasonal periods when native fauna could be most affected by predation of this highly invasive species. In total, prey represented by 18 taxa was found in the gut contents of dissected fish. Feeding activity of round goby varied depending on the body size, sex and stage of the reproduction period. The gut contents of < 50 mm specimens were dominated by zooplanktonic and meiobenthic organisms, whereas larger individuals (50–99 mm) shifted to amphipods and mollusks. Individuals of the intermediate 100-200 mm length had a variable diet, changing depending on the season; in spring they mostly preyed on Macoma balthica, in summer − on polychaetes, while in autumn the contribution of Mytilus trossulus and fish considerably increased in their diet. Diet composition of individuals ≥ 200 mm was relatively constant in the course of the study with substantial preference to M. balthica. These findings imply that benthic fauna, particularly a newly settled generation of epibenthic mollusks in autumn is under strong predatory pressure of the round goby.

Genetic Differentiation of the Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus) from Certain Localities of the Black and Azov Sea Basin Using Microsatellite Loci

2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 236-247
Author(s):  
S. I. Tarasjuk ◽  
V. V. Zamorov ◽  
O. V. Zaloilo ◽  
O. Iu. Bielikova ◽  
D. B. Radionov
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Microsatellite Loci ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Azov Sea

scholarly journals Fishing for Targets of Alien Metabolites: A Novel Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor (PPAR) Agonist from a Marine Pest

Marine Drugs ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Vitale ◽  
Enrico D'Aniello ◽  
Stefania Gorbi ◽  
Andrea Martella ◽  
Cristoforo Silvestri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Invasion Biology ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Bioactive Metabolites ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator ◽  
Invasive Pests

Although the chemical warfare between invasive and native species has become a central problem in invasion biology, the molecular mechanisms by which bioactive metabolites from invasive pests influence local communities remain poorly characterized. This study demonstrates that the alkaloid caulerpin (CAU)—a bioactive component of the green alga Caulerpa cylindracea that has invaded the entire Mediterranean basin—is an agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). Our interdisciplinary study started with the in silico prediction of the ligand-protein interaction, which was then validated by in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro assays. On the basis of these results, we candidate CAU as a causal factor of the metabolic and behavioural disorders observed in Diplodus sargus, a native edible fish of high ecological and commercial relevance, feeding on C. cylindracea. Moreover, given the considerable interest in PPAR activators for the treatment of relevant human diseases, our findings are also discussed in terms of a possible nutraceutical/pharmacological valorisation of the invasive algal biomasses, supporting an innovative strategy for conserving biodiversity as an alternative to unrealistic campaigns for the eradication of invasive pests.

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