Size differences in swimming behavior of the round goby from a core and an invasion front area.

Session: Poster session

Christopher Pennuto, Buffalo State College, Biology Dept., [email protected]
Elizabeth Gorski, Buffalo State College, [email protected]

Abstract

Understanding how behavior may influence the success of a species invasion has garnered renewed interest from invasion biologists. Round gobies were first detected at the western terminus of Oneida Lake about 3 years ago and now occupy the entire lake. We compared schooling propensity, total swimming duration, swim bout frequency, and mean swim bout duration of round goby from the initial introduction location (west end) to fish from the eastern end where expansion into the inflowing Fish Creek is occurring. Fish from both locations exhibited strong schooling behavior with roughly 80% of fish tested spending their time in the vicinity of conspecifics. Fish from the core area (west) spent more time swimming compared to fish from the invasion front (east), but we found no difference in the swim frequency between the locations. Interestingly, the relationship between swim time and size was strongly negative at the invasion front, whereas there was no relationship between size and swim time in the core area. These observations suggest that size distribution may provide insight into the rate of range expansion in this non-native fish.

1. Keyword
invasive species

2. Keyword
round goby

4. Additional Keyword
behavior