Biological characteristics of the round goby, Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1814), from different water bodies

The paper considers the ecological variability of the
round goby, Neogobius melanostomus (Pall.), in different
environments. The dietary spectrum and morphological
variability of round goby populations were studied in two
water bodies with different environmental conditions. The
sizes and body weights of specimens were the largest in
Obytichna Bay and the smallest in Kakhovka Reservoir.
Differences in the morphological indices of gobies from
freshwater and marine bodies of water were determined using discriminant analysis. At the study sites the round goby chiefly fed on benthic organisms that varied in species composition and energy equivalent. A significant portion of the diet comprised bivalves such as Abra ovata, Cerastoderma glaucum, and Parvicardium exiguum, which have the highest energy capacity. The average energy equivalent indices of prey items were higher in Obytichna Bay and the lowest in Kakhovka Reservoir.