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Diet and growth rate of the nonnative tubenose goby (Proterorhinus semilunaris)
Citation:
Dawson, B., J. Hoffman, AND T. Hrabik. Diet and growth rate of the nonnative tubenose goby (Proterorhinus semilunaris). St. Louis River Summit, Superior, WI, March 05 - 06, 2019.
Impact/Purpose:
Life-history strategy and habitat preference of non-native species are important both for risk assessment and optimizing early detection surveillance. Among the group of species most likely to be introduced to the Great Lakes are a group of closely related gobies from the Ponto-Caspian region. Two species from this group are already well-established in the Great Lakes (round goby and tubenose goby), but only one of these (round goby) is well-studied. This study was undertaken to characterize life-history and habitat use of tubenose goby to provide more information regarding potential risks of Ponto-Caspian goby introductions to the Great Lakes.
Description:
Basic life history knowledge of a nonnative species is necessary to accurately determine if the species is truly “invasive”. One such species, tubenose goby (Proterorhinus semilunaris), is thought to have arrived in the Great Lakes in the 1990s via ballast water in trans-oceanic ships. This species has been poorly studied within North America, making it difficult to predict its effects on native species. Growth rates and seasonal diet patterns were examined from a population within the St. Louis River, a tributary to Lake Superior, near Duluth, Minnesota. Growth rates and dietary breadth have ramifications for survival, competitiveness, and dispersal ability of fish species, influencing its potential success as an invasive species. Tubenose gobies were sampled from shallow, vegetated habitat by beach seine during summer and fall. Otoliths were removed and daily increments counted for growth modelling. Furthermore, stomach contents were identified and weighed to provide measures of fitness and dietary breadth between seasons (fall vs. summer), and between several locations within the river. Results suggest a low dietary breadth that is heavily dependent on Crustacea, regardless of location or season. Growth analysis shows that tubenose goby are fast-growing and potentially short-lived, suggesting a r-selected life history.