Predicting habitat use and trophic interactions of Eurasian ruffe,round gobies,and zebra mussels in nearshore areas of the Great Lakes |
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Authors: | Candice R Bauer Angela M Bobeldyk Gary A Lamberti |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556-0369, USA;(2) Present address: United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2, 290 Broadway, New York, NY 10007-1866, USA |
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Abstract: | The Laurentian Great Lakes have been subject to numerous introductions of nonindigenous species, including two recent benthic
fish invaders, Eurasian ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus) and round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus), as well as the benthic bivalve, zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha). These three exotic species, or “exotic triad,” may impact nearshore benthic communities due to their locally high abundances
and expanding distributions. Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine (1) whether ruffe and gobies may compete for
habitat and invertebrate food in benthic environments, and (2) if zebra mussels can alter those competitive relationships
by serving as an alternate food source for gobies. In laboratory mesocosms, both gobies and ruffe preferred cobble and macrophyte
areas to open sand either when alone or in sympatry. In a 9-week goby–ruffe competition experiment simulating an invasion
scenario with a limited food base, gobies grew faster than did ruffe, suggesting that gobies may be competitively superior
at low resource levels. When zebra mussels were added in a short-term experiment, the presence or absence of mussels did not
affect goby or ruffe growth, as few zebra mussels were consumed. This finding, along with other laboratory evidence, suggests
that gobies may prefer soft-bodied invertebrate prey over zebra mussels. Studies of interactions among the “exotic triad”,
combined with continued surveillance, may help Great Lakes fisheries managers to predict future population sizes and distributions
of these invasive fish, evaluate their impacts on native food webs, and direct possible control measures to appropriate species. |
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Keywords: | Aquatic species Benthic Competition Exotic species Fishes Habitat preference Nonindigenous species North America Species interactions |
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