Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Diet and feeding habits of monkey goby (Neogobius fluviatilis) in a newly invaded area

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biological Invasions Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The monkey goby (Neogobius fluviatilis) is one of the Ponto-Caspian species that in recent decades made substantial East-to-West invasions in European inland waters. Now the species is present in the Danube as far as its Slovakian section. In the last decade the species also invaded the Western Bug and Vistula rivers, in the latter it is numerous nearly as far as its delta. The purpose of our study was to define the diet spectrum, feeding preferences, spatial and size related changes in diet and diurnal feeding activity of this goby. Another goal was to predict which groups of native prey would be most affected by the presence of this exotic predator in newly invaded areas. The study was carried out at three sampling locations in the Vistula River system. The food spectrum of the monkey goby was broad. The fish consumed insect larvae and pupae, crustaceans, annelids, gastropods and fish. Chironomid larvae were a prevalent food category in all sampling sites, followed by amphipod crustaceans at one site and by trichopteran larvae and chironomid pupae at another. At the third site, there was no distinct subdominant food category. According to the values of the Ivlev’s selectivity index, the preferred food category were chironomid larvae. No significant differences in diet were found over the 24-h cycle. There was no variation among different fish size groups. From our studies and from the available literature data it can be concluded that the species, due to its ability to use locally available food resources, displays a generalistic and highly flexible feeding strategy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amundsen PA, Gabler HM, Staldvik FJ (1996) A new approach to graphical analysis of feeding strategy from stomach content data—modification of the Costello (1990) method. J Fish Biol 48:607–614

    Google Scholar 

  • Bij de Vaate A, Jażdżewski K, Ketelaars HAM et al (2002) Geographical patterns in range expantion of macroinvertebrate Ponto-Caspian species in Europe. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 59:1159–1174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biró P (1972) Neogobius fluviatilis in Lake Balaton—a Ponto-Caspian goby new to the fauna of Central Europe. J Fish Biol 4:249–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biró P (1995) A folyami geb (Neogobius fluviatilis Pallas) novekedese es tapleka a Balaton parti oveben (Dynamics and food of monkey goby (Neogobius fluviatilis Pallas) in Lake Balaton). Halaszát 88:175–184

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown JH (1989) Patterns, modes and extents of invasions by vertebrates. In: Drake JA, Mooney H, Di Castri F, Groves RH, Kruger FJ, Rejmánek M (eds) Biological invasions: a global perspective. SCOPE 37. Wiley, New York, pp 85–109

    Google Scholar 

  • Copp GH, Bianco PG, Bogutskaya NG et al (2005) To be, or not to be, a non-native freshwater fish? J Appl Ichthyol 21:242–262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costello MJ (1990) Predator feeding strategy and prey importance: a new graphical analysis. J Fish Biol 36:261–263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Danilkiewicz Z (1998) Babka szczupła, Neogobius fluviatilis (Pallas, 1811), Perciformes, Gobiidae—nowy pontyjski element w ichtiofaunie zlewiska Morza Bałtyckiego. (Monkey goby, Neogobius fluviatilis (Pallas, 1811), Perciformes, Gobiidae—a new Pontic element in ichthyofauna of the Baltic Sea basin). Fragm Faun 41(21):269–277

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehrlich PR (1989) Attributes of invaders and the invading processes: vertebrates. In: Drake JA, Mooney H, Di Castri F, Groves RH, Kruger FJ, Rejmánek M (eds) Biological invasions: a global perspective. SCOPE 37. Wiley, New York, pp 315–328

    Google Scholar 

  • Elvira B (2001) Identification of non-native freshwater fishes established in Europe and assessment of their potential threat to the biological diversity. Council of Europe: twenty-first meeting of the Bern Convention Standing Committee, Strasbourg, France, 26–30 November 2001: document T-PVS (2001) 6, dated 11 December 2000. http://www.coe.int

  • Grabowska J (2005) Reproductive biology of racer goby Neogobius gymnotrachelus in the Włocławski Reservoir (Vistula River, Poland). J Appl Ichthyol 21:296–299

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grabowska J, Grabowski M (2005) Diel-feeding activity in early summer of racer goby Neogobius gymnotrachelus (Gobiidae): a new invader in the Baltic basin. J Appl Ichthyol 21:282–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grabowski M, Konopacka A, Jażdżewski K (2007) Alien Crustacea in Polish waters—Amphipoda. Aquat Invasions 2(1):25–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hyslop EJ (1980) Stomach content analysis—a review of methods and their application. J Fish Biol 17:411–429

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ivlev VA (1961) Experimental ecology of the feeding fishes. Yale University Press, Connecticut

    Google Scholar 

  • Jażdżewski K, Konopacka A, Grabowski M (2002) Four Ponto-Caspian and one American gammarid species (Crustacea, Amphipoda) invading Polish waters. Contrib Zool 71:115–122

    Google Scholar 

  • Jurajda P, Černy J, Polačik M et al (2005) The recent distribution and abundance of non-native Neogobius fishes in the Slovak section of the River Danube. J Appl Ichthyol 21:319–323

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kakareko T (2001) The diet, growth and condition of common bream, Abramis brama (L.) in Włocławski Reservoir. Acta Ichthyol Piscat 31:37–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Kakareko T (2002) The importance of benthic fauna in the diet of small common bream (Abramis brama L.), roach (Rutilus rutilus L.), pikeperch (Sander lucioperca L.) and ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus L.) in Włocławek Reservoir. Arch Pol Fish 10:221–231

    Google Scholar 

  • Kakareko T, Żytkowicz J, Kowalska M (2003) Wstępne wyniki badań nad relacjami troficznymi pomiędzy inwazyjnymi rybami babkowatymi z rodzaju Neogobius a małymi okoniowatymi w przybrzeżnej strefie Zbiornika Włocławskiego (Trophic relationships between the invasive gobiids of genus Neogobius, and small percids in the littoral zone of the Wocławski Reservoir). Suppl Ad Acta Hydrobiol 6:29–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Kakareko T, Żbikowski J, Żytkowicz J (2005) Diel partitioning in summer of two syntopic neogobiids from two different habitats of the lower Vistula River, Poland. J Appl Ichthyol 21:292–295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kostrzewa J, Grabowski M (2002) Babka szczupła, Neogobius fluviatilis (Pallas, 1811), w Wiśle—fenomen inwazji pontokaspijskich Gobiidae (Monkey goby, Neogobius fluviatilis (Pallas, 1811), in the Vistula River—a phenomenon of Ponto-Caspian Gobiidae invasion). Przegl Zool 46(3–4):235–242

    Google Scholar 

  • Kostrzewa J, Grabowski M (2003) Opportunistic feeding strategy as a factor promoting the expansion of racer goby (Neogobius gymnotrachelus Kessler, 1857) in the Vistula basin. Lauterbornia 48:91–100

    Google Scholar 

  • Kostrzewa J, Grabowski M, Zięba G (2004) Nowe inwazyjne gatunki ryb w wodach Polski (New invasive fish species in Polish waterbodies). Arch Pol Fish 12(Supplement 2):21–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Kováč V, Siryová S (2005) Ontogenetic variability in external morphology of bighead goby Neogobius kessleri from the Middle Danube, Slovakia. J Appl Ichthyol 21:312–315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • L’avrinčikova M, Kováč V, Katina S (2005) Ontogenetic variability in external morphology of round goby Neogobius melanostomus from the Middle Danube, Slovakia. J Appl Ichthyol 21:328–334

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ondračkova M, Dávidová M, Pečinková M et al (2005) Metazoan parasites of Neogobius fishes in the Slovak section of the River Danube. J Appl Ichthyol 21:345–349

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinchuk VI, Vasil’eva ED, Vasil’ev VP et al (2003) Neogobius fluviatilis (Kessler, 1857). In: Miller P (ed) The freshwater fishes of Europe. Mugilidae, Atherinidae, Atherionopsidae, Blennidae, Odontobutidae, Gobiidae 1, vol 8/I. AULA-Verlag, Wiesbaden, pp 223–264

    Google Scholar 

  • Pintér K (1989) Fishes of Hungary. Akademia Kiadó, Budapest

    Google Scholar 

  • Ribeiro F, Orjuela RL, Magalhães MF et al (2007) Variability in feeding ecology of South American cichlid: a reason for successful invasion in mediterranean-type rivers? Ecol Freshw Fish 16:559–569

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simonović P, Paunović M, Popović S (2001) Morphology, feeding and reproduction of the Round Goby, Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas), in the Danube River basin, Yugoslavia. J Great Lakes Res 27:281–289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smirnov AI (1986) Perciformes (Gobioidei), Scorpaeniformes, Pleuronectiformes, Gobiesociformes, Lophiiformes. Fauna Ukrainy 8, Ryby (5) (Perciformes (Gobioidei), Scorpaeniformes, Pleuronectiformes, Gobiesociformes, Lophiiformes. Fauna of Ukraine 8, Fishes (5). Naukova Dumka, Kiev

    Google Scholar 

  • Stráňai I, Andreji J (2001) Býčko riecny—(zatial) posledný invázny druh z čel’ade býčkovitych (Monkey goby—still the latest invasive species of family Gobiidae). Pol’ovnictvo a rybárstvo 49:33

    Google Scholar 

  • Vasil’eva E (2003) Main alteration in ichthyofauna of the larger rivers of the northern coast of the Black Sea in the last 50 years: a review. Fol Zool 52:337–358

    Google Scholar 

  • Zar JH (1984) Biostatistical analysis. Englewood Cliffs, Prince Hall

    Google Scholar 

  • Żbikowski J (2000) Part VII. Macrozoobenthos of the Vistula in the section from Wyszogród to Toruń. Acta Univ Nicolai Copernici Limnol Pap 21:85–100

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Thanks are due to our colleagues Lidia Marszał, Grzegorz Zięba, Piotr Spychalski, Marcin Molski for their help in fieldwork, to J. Matthews for linguistic suggestions, as well as to Mirosław Przybylski for his useful comments and suggestions. The study was supported by the internal grant from the University of Lodz.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237, Lodz, Poland

    Joanna Grabowska

  2. Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237, Lodz, Poland

    Michał Grabowski & Anna Kostecka

Authors
  1. Joanna Grabowska
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michał Grabowski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Anna Kostecka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joanna Grabowska.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Grabowska, J., Grabowski, M. & Kostecka, A. Diet and feeding habits of monkey goby (Neogobius fluviatilis) in a newly invaded area. Biol Invasions 11, 2161–2170 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-009-9499-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-009-9499-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation