The determination of temperature preference on the adult Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus)

open_access
Open Access
Author:
Carson, Molly
Area of Honors:
Wildlife and Fisheries Science
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Jay Richard Stauffer, Jr., Thesis Supervisor
Paola Ferreri, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
fisheries
wildlife
invasive
Round Goby
science
temperature
thermal tolerance
climate change
Abstract:
The Determination of Temperature Preference on the Adult Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus) The Round Goby Neogobius melanostomus is an invasive, benthic fish species with origins tracing back to the seas of Eurasia. The Round Goby is thought to have invaded North American waters through the ballast tanks of ocean freighters in the early 1990s. Currently, the Round Goby inhabits all the Great Lakes and many of their associated tributaries, heavily predating and outcompeting native aquatic species. To effectively manage and prevent the continued spread of the Round Goby in North America, it is important to recognize their thermal tolerance range and preferred habitat temperature. To better understand how changes in water temperature influence the biological mechanisms and geographic range of the Round Goby, we used Round Gobies collected from Lake LeBoeuf by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission in August 2024 and performed multiple temperature preference trials in the fish laboratory at the Rock Springs Research Farm from September 2024 through December 2024. Results of this study show that the Round Goby is capable of living in a wide range of water temperatures. Further analysis shows that the Goby’s maximum thermal tolerance is above 25°C, but Gobies will venture into water warmer than this even though it leads to loss of equilibrium. Comparing the results of this study to the results of a past temperature studies performed by Stauffer et al. (1976) and Bucha (2024) supports the idea that the Round Goby does not have a specified preferred temperature. Further research is needed to determine how other environmental conditions such as salinity may affect Goby tolerance. This study provides critical insight into how the invasive Round Goby can prosper in foreign waters, and how changing climatic conditions may aid in the species’ continued geographic spread.