Diel-feeding activity in early summer of racer goby Neogobius gymnotrachelus (Gobiidae): a new invader in the Baltic basin

Abstract

The first recording of the Ponto-Caspian racer goby in Poland was during 1995 in the River Bug (River Vistula system). Within 5 years, the species had spread to the downstream section of the Vistula. One of the potential impacts of invasive species on native fauna is competition for food. Therefore, the diel patterns in diet composition and gut fullness coefficient (FC) of racer goby were examined at one study site in the Włocławski Reservoir (lower River Vistula), during May 2003. An average of 20 individuals were examined each 4 h over one 24-h period (125 fish in total). The proportion of main food items and diet width did not differ among three size-groups (43–59, 60–79 and 80–97 mm total length), and the relative biomass ratio of main food categories did not differ over the diel cycle. Amphipods constituted 11–70% of total gut content biomass and were found on average in 84% of analysed alimentary tracts. The second prey types were chironomid larvae (16–63% of total food biomass; frequency occurrence: 61–91%), and to a lesser extent chironomid pupa, ceratopogonid larvae, oligochaets, dipteran imagines and copepods, with fish larvae found in the gut of eight gobies. Gut fullness coefficient (FC) differed significantly over the 24-h period, with the highest value at night and in early morning. In conclusion, racer goby forages mainly on benthos and has a nocturnal-feeding activity. No significant diet overlap was found between racer goby and native percids, i.e. Eurasian perch Perca fluviatilis and ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus.