Winter residency and foraging of non‐native round goby populations in Great Lakes tributary streams

Abstract

AbstractInvestigations of winter diets and foraging in fish are rare, and less so for migratory species in the temperate zone. In the Great Lakes, the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) is known to out‐migrate from nearshore habitats to offshore depths in the winter months. However, in Great Lake tributaries, populations of this fish were found up to 25 km upstream during winter months. Distance upstream was a predictor of out‐migration behavior with populations farthest upstream remaining as winter residents, whereas populations nearest the lakes out‐migrated. Distance inland was also a predictor of fish total length, but not Fulton's condition index. Seasonal resources and local prey availability shaped the diets of these fish, but resource use remained unchanged over time since invasion. Total length and body condition also remained unchanged over time since the invasion. Plasticity in both diet and migration behavior seems to be beneficial traits for the inland invasion success of this fish.