Size, relative abundance, and catch-per-unit-effort of round goby, Neogobius melanostomus , in anthropogenically modified and natural habitats in the western basin of Lake Erie

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 1134-1138 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. A. Moran ◽  
T. P. Simon
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
PEMA KHANDU ◽  
GEORGE A. GALE ◽  
SARA BUMRUNGSRI

Summary White-bellied Heron Ardea insignis (WBH) is critically endangered, but we lack data on many aspects of its basic ecology and threats to the species are not clearly understood. The goal of this study was to analyse WBH foraging microhabitat selection, foraging behaviour, and prey preferences in two river basins (Punatsangchhu and Mangdechhu) in Bhutan which are likely home to one of the largest remaining populations of WBH. We also explored the relationship between the relative abundance of the WBH and prey biomass catch per unit effort within four foraging river microhabitats (pool, pond, riffle and run). Prey species were sampled in 13 different 100-m thalweg lengths of the rivers using cast nets and electrofishing gear. Riffles and pools were the most commonly used microhabitats; relative abundance was the highest in riffles. The relative abundance of WBH and prey biomass catch per unit effort (CPUE) also showed a weak but significant positive correlation (rs = 0.22). The highest biomass CPUE was observed in riffles while the lowest was found in the ponds. From the 97 prey items caught by the WBH, 95% of the prey were fish. The WBH mainly exploited three genera of fish (Garra, Salmo, and Schizothorax) of which Schizothorax (64%) was the most frequently consumed. This study provides evidence in support of further protection of critical riverine habitat and fish resources for this heron. Regular monitoring of sand and gravel mining, curbing illegal fishing, habitat restoration/mitigation, and developing sustainable alternatives for local people should be urgently implemented by the government and other relevant agencies. Further study is also required for understanding the seasonal variation and abundance of its prey species in their prime habitats along the Punatsangchhu and Mangdechhu basins.


2003 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward C. Phillips ◽  
Meaghan E. Washek ◽  
Aaron W. Hertel ◽  
Brian M. Niebel

2016 ◽  
Vol 116 (2) ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Thomas P. Simon ◽  
Charles Boucher ◽  
David Altfater ◽  
Dennis Mishne ◽  
Brian Zimmerman

Fish assemblage structure has changed dramatically in the Western Basin of Lake Erie since Trautman’s revision of the Fishes of Ohio. Fish surveys near the Bass Islands and adjacent mainland tributaries documented fish faunal distributional patterns during the last three decades. Recent collections (n=1,719 sites) from 1982-2014 indicate that 123 fish species are extant and 27 species have been extirpated from the Bass Islands and nearby tributaries draining the western basin. Extirpation of Polyodon spatula, Alosa sapidissima, Moxostoma lacurum, and Sander glacum occurred; however, A. sapidissima and members of genus Oncorhynchus were introduced and unable to naturalize. Recent collection of A. fulvescens in Schoolhouse bay near Middle Bass Island in May 2012; Umbra limi populations on Middle Bass Island and Kelley’s Island; and Lepisosteus oculatus populations along the southeastern shoreline of North Bass Island are stable in Lake Erie despite increased eutrophication. The current Western Basin fish assemblage includes 107 native, 26 nonindigenous, and 6 alien fish species. Twenty-one native species have been extirpated from Lake Erie, while 6 nonindigenous species have not naturalized and have been extirpated. Six additional species known from within the Lake Erie basin have not been collected from the Western Basin during the study period and current status is unknown. Introduced non-indigenous and alien species are responsible for increased species richness including Neogobius melanostomus, Proterorhinus semilunaris, Salmo trutta, Carassius auratus, Cyprinus carpio, Ctenopharyngodon idella and four records for Hyphthalmichthys molatrix since 1981. Brief comments on distribution, relative abundance, and status are provided for each species. 


2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B Bunnell ◽  
Timothy B Johnson ◽  
Carey T Knight

We used an individual-based bioenergetic model to simulate the phosphorus flux of the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) population in central Lake Erie during 1995–2002. Estimates of round goby diet composition, growth rates, and population abundance were derived from field sampling. As an abundant introduced fish, we predicted that round gobies would influence phosphorus cycling both directly, through excretion, and indirectly, through consumption of dreissenid mussels, whose high mass-specific phosphorus excretion enhances recycling. In 1999, when age-1+ round gobies reached peak abundance near 350 million (2.4 kg·ha–1), annual phosphorus excretion was estimated at 7 t (1.4 × 10–3 mg P·m–2·day–1). From an ecosystem perspective, however, round gobies excreted only 0.4% of the phosphorus needed by the benthic community for primary production. Indirectly, round gobies consumed <0.2% of dreissenid population biomass, indicating that round gobies did not reduce nutrient availability by consuming dreissenids. Compared with previous studies that have revealed introduced species to influence phosphorus cycling, round gobies likely did not attain a sufficiently high biomass density to influence phosphorus cycling in Lake Erie.


Author(s):  
Heather Bauer Reid ◽  
Anthony Ricciardi

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.


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