A newly established round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) population in the upper stretch of the river Elbe

Abstract

The invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus, Pallas, 1814) has increased its European range dramatically over recent decades, with international shipping suspected as the main vector. Here, we provide the first population and morphological data for a newly established round goby population in the upper Elbe (Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic). Surveys in 2013 along the same stretch found no evidence of gobies, indicating introduction within the past two years. Analysis of morphological similarity confirms the most likely source as the recently established population in the tidal Elbe near the port of Hamburg. Due to the species’ restricted range (<15 km; with density localised on Ústí nad Labem port), distance from proposed source (600 km; no reports from the intervening stretch) and the speed with which this distance was crossed (less than three years), we suggest port-to-port transfer as the most likely vector route. Our data highlight the speed with which this species has been able to colonise most watersheds in Europe via establishment of widely-separated populations through port-to-port transfer and rapid inter-site connection through downstream drift and natural migration.