Feeding of a benthic goby in a river where nektonic fishes are absent

The social structure and feeding behaviour of the benthic goby Rhinogobius sp. DA (dark type) were investigated in a small river in Shikoku, Japan, where nektonic fishes are absent. The gobies had overlapped home ranges but were often aggressive against conspecifics, especially of the same sex and similar body size. Their diet consisted mainly of aquatic invertebrates, but terrestrial invertebrates were also an important item. This contrasted with few terrestrial invertebrates in the diet of the conspecifics in an adjacent river harbouring a nektonic cyprinid fish. An increase in flow level greatly changed their feeding behaviour; on high flow days, a greater portion of the population appeared from the interstices of the bottom and more often rose into the water column to catch drift than on normal flow days. Plasticity of their feeding behaviour is discussed in terms of ecological release.