Size preferences and behaviors of native yellow perch foraging on invasive round gobies

作者：Weber Michael J^*; Dettmers John M; Wahl David H; Czesny Sergiusz J

来源：Journal of Great Lakes Research, 2011, 37(3): 584-587.

DOI：10.1016/j.jglr.2011.04.008

• Yellow perch
• Round goby
• Prey preference
• Predation
• Foraging behaviors
• Prey profitability

Predation is one of the primary mechanisms that shape aquatic food webs and predator-prey interactions are typically highly dependent on sizes of both forager and its prey. Round goby Neogobius melanostomus is a recent invader to the Great Lakes and can be an important prey item for native predators. However, predation patterns on round gobies have received limited attention. We assessed size-specific predator-prey interactions between invasive round gobies and native yellow perch Perca flavescens by comparing prey preferences for three size classes of adult yellow perch foraging on six size classes of round gobies. Small yellow perch preferred the smallest round gobies available, medium sized yellow perch increased the range of round goby sizes consumed but still preferred smaller prey, whereas large yellow perch consumed larger round gobies and excluded the smallest prey size. Yellow perch foraging behaviors indicated that intermediate sizes of round gobies were struck at most frequently and that pursuit and handling time increased whereas capture efficiency and prey profitability decreased with round goby size. Our results indicate that predator-prey interactions between yellow perch and round gobies may be size dependent and heavily influenced by capture efficiency and prey profitability.

• 出版日期2011-9