Joanna Grabowska

Non-native fish in Belarusian and Polish areas of the European central invasion corridor.

This is the first comprehensive review to examine the role of the central European invasion corridor on fish introductions into Belarusian and Polish inland waters (Dnieper-Bug-Vistula-Oder-Elbe-Spree-Havel). Historical and recent data were assessed, including the results of a 2003–2008 survey along the Belarusian and Polish sections of the corridor. Since the eighteenth century, at least six fish species of Ponto-Caspian origin have spread via the corridor and migrated westwards to the Baltic basin, with five species found in recent surveys, namely the monkey goby Neogobius fluviatilis, round goby N. melanostomus, racer goby N. gymnotrachelus, tubenose goby Proterorhinus marmoratus and the white eye-bream Abramis sapa. Four other non-native species were also found within the corridor — the Amur sleeper Perccottus glenii, gibel carp Carassius gibelio, brown bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus and the topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva. Their presence is related to numerous accidental introductions to many localities in Belarus and Poland, rather than from using the corridor as an invasion route. One species, the ninespine stickleback, Pungitius pungitius, has migrated from the Baltic basin to the Black Sea drainage systems.

Diet and feeding habits of monkey goby ( Neogobius fluviatilis ) in a newly invaded area

The monkey goby (Neogobius fluviatilis) is one of the Ponto-Caspian species that in recent decades made substantial East-to-West invasions in European inland waters. Now the species is present in the Danube as far as its Slovakian section. In the last decade the species also invaded the Western Bug and Vistula rivers, in the latter it is numerous nearly as far as its delta. The purpose of our study was to define the diet spectrum, feeding preferences, spatial and size related changes in diet and diurnal feeding activity of this goby. Another goal was to predict which groups of native prey would be most affected by the presence of this exotic predator in newly invaded areas. The study was carried out at three sampling locations in the Vistula River system. The food spectrum of the monkey goby was broad. The fish consumed insect larvae and pupae, crustaceans, annelids, gastropods and fish. Chironomid larvae were a prevalent food category in all sampling sites, followed by amphipod crustaceans at one site and by trichopteran larvae and chironomid pupae at another. At the third site, there was no distinct subdominant food category. According to the values of the Ivlev’s selectivity index, the preferred food category were chironomid larvae. No significant differences in diet were found over the 24-h cycle. There was no variation among different fish size groups. From our studies and from the available literature data it can be concluded that the species, due to its ability to use locally available food resources, displays a generalistic and highly flexible feeding strategy.

Erratum to: Life-history traits of Amur sleeper, Perccottus glenii

Due to an unfortunate turn of events, the first-and surnames of all authors were interchanged in the original publication. The correct representation of the authors and their affiliations are listed above and below and should be treated as definitive by the reader.