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Effect of round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) invasion on blue mussel (Mytilus edulis trossulus) population and winter diet of the long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis)

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Abstract

The invasive round goby has established a viable population within 9 years of its first introduction to Lithuanian coastal waters (SE Baltic Sea). During its expansion phase, abundances increased 23-fold, which led to the near complete eradication of its main prey, the blue mussel, at < 20 m depth. The round goby population showed a stabilizing trend after blue mussel biomass was depleted; however, their abundance has not declined. The round goby feeds efficiently on newly settled mollusks, causing a severe constraint for blue mussel recovery. Changes in blue mussel availability and size structure induced a dietary shift in wintering long-tailed duck towards fish prey. An energetically dense food source sustains a good body condition in long-tailed ducks, however the change in trophic position (from 3.1 to 4.3 trophic level) suggests the potential for a reduction in their carrying capacity. Results from this study also show that coastal habitats with low and unpredictable population dynamics of blue mussel become less attractive wintering sites for long-tailed duck in the Baltic Sea. We also document a cascading effect of invasive species in the food web.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the fisheries service under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania, Division of Fishery Research and Science for long-term round goby abundance data. We also thank commercial fishermen, who provided long-tailed ducks caught in their gill nets, and undergraduate students for help during laboratory analysis of the bird diet. We thank dr. A. Petraitis for long-tailed duck diet data from 2002 to 2004 and volunteers from the Lithuanian Ornithological Society for mid-winter bird counts. We also thank prof. S. Olenin, prof. D. Daunys, dr. M. Bučas, and dr. A. Šaškov for blue mussel sampling, S. Karalius for drawing and prof. P. Bukaveckas for language revision. This study was supported by BIO-C3 (Biodiversity changes-causes, consequences and management implications) within BONUS, the joint Baltic Sea Research and Development program funded jointly by the EU Seventh Framework Programme and the Research Council of Lithuania (Grant Agreement No. BONUS-1/2014).

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  1. Marine Research Institute, Klaipėda University, Herkaus Manto 84, 92294, Klaipėda, Lithuania

    Artūras Skabeikis, Rasa Morkūnė, Jūratė Lesutienė, Julius Morkūnas & Andrius Šiaulys

  2. Department of Natural Sciences, Klaipėda University, Herkaus Manto 84, 92294, Klaipėda, Lithuania

    Egidijus Bacevičius & Aistė Poškienė

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  1. Artūras Skabeikis
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Correspondence to Artūras Skabeikis.

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Skabeikis, A., Morkūnė, R., Bacevičius, E. et al. Effect of round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) invasion on blue mussel (Mytilus edulis trossulus) population and winter diet of the long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis). Biol Invasions 21, 911–923 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-018-1869-y

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