Round Goby
From Freepedia
| Neogobius Melanostromus | ||||||||||||||
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| Neogobius melanostromus Pallas, 1814 |
Round goby '(Neogobius melanostomus)' is a freshwater bottom-dwelling fish native to central Eurasia including the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. A type of goby, it is typically 4-10 inches in length and has grey, black, and brown coloring.
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Characteristics
While young, its coloring is grey with a distinctive black spot on the front dorsal fin. Upon maturation the coloring becomes spotted with gray, black, brown, and olive green markings. The eyes protrude slightly from the top of the head and it has a suction disk on its pelvic fins.
Feeding
It feeds nocturnally and is believed to detect prey only while stationary. Its primary diet includes mollusks, crustaceans, worms, fish eggs, small fish, and insect larvae.
Reproduction
Females spawn multiple times during spawning season which spans from April to September. The males guard nest eggs and newly hatched young. Its eggs are 4 by 2.2 mm in size. Female Round gobys reach maturity in 1-2 years while males do so in 3-4 years.
Invasive Species
The species was accidentally introduced into the North American Great Lakes by way of the ballast water of cargo ships. First discovered in the St. Clair River in 1990, the Round goby is considered an invasive species with significant ecological and economic impact.
An aggressive fish, the Round goby feeds off of competitor fish such as the sculpin and longperch, substantially reducing their population size. It also consumes other aquatic resources such as snails and mussels, thereby reducing the availability of food for native species. In areas where the Round goby has become established, the populations of native aquatic life has declined. Its robust ability to survive in degraded environmental conditions has increased its competitive advantage compared to native species.
The Round goby is also considered invasive in parts of Europe including the Gulf of Gdansk.
References
- CRS Report for Congress: Harmful Non-Native Species
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System
- The Round Goby, Neogobius melanostromus, a Fish Invader on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean (2004) in Biological Invasions, Springer Science+Business Media B.V., Volume 6, Number 2, 173-181.
