Documentation of the presence of Gmelinoides fasciatus (Stebbing, 1899) and the native benthic fauna in the Volga River at Tver (Tver Region, Russia)

Abstract

In the Volga Basin, the small Baikalian amphipod Gmelinoides fasciatus was introduced in 1965 into the Gorky reservoir in order to enhance fish production; it appeared in 1986 in the Rybinsk reservoir and we recorded it during monitoring activities in 2006 at Tver. In total, at the monitoring site Tver/Migalovo 69 benthic invertebrate taxa were identified. We compared data from three summer seasons. During summer low flow period Gmelinoides fasciatus did not exceed a share of 12.6% considering individual (ind) densities (mean abundance 165 ± 104 ind m−2) and 14.2% considering biomass (mean biomass 0.39 ± 0.44 g m−2). Abundances and biomass of G. fasciatus were shown to be stable over three years and no increase was observed. The monthly dataset (March–November 2008) revealed dynamics in relation to the native benthic communities and it was shown that the maximal densities of Gmelinoides did not exceed 587 ind m–2. Understanding the effects on benthic communities caused by the invasive amphipod Gmelinoides fasciatus is crucial in order to predict further developments in European inland waters and to establish management strategies.