Cryptic alternative male mating strategies in invasive alien round goby ( Neogobius melanostomus ) of the upper Danube R
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INVASION NOTE
Cryptic alternative male mating strategies in invasive alien round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) of the upper Danube River Alexander F. Cerwenka
. Joerg Brandner . Juergen Geist . Ulrich K. Schliewen
Received: 29 May 2020 / Accepted: 8 October 2020 Ó The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Male alternative mating strategies are a widespread life history choice, yet they have hardly been assessed in the context of fish invasions. As established proxies for alternative life-history strategies, body length and sexual maturity of Ponto– Caspian round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) from the recently invaded upper Danube River were contrasted and differential trophic niche occupation was assessed. Only about 4% of analyzed gobies qualified as potential sneakers which may be explained by the recent and ongoing invasion process. This study provides evidence for the occurrence of sneaking behavior of invasive round goby in the upper Danube River. Keywords Neogobius melanostomus Alternative male mating tactic Reproductive tactics Sneaking Gonado-somatic index Lipid content
A. F. Cerwenka U. K. Schliewen (&) SNSB-ZSM Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Mu¨nchhausenstraße 21, 81247 Munich, Germany e-mail: [email protected] J. Brandner Wasserwirtschaftsamt Regensburg, Landshuter Str. 59, 93053 Regensburg, Germany J. Geist Aquatic Systems Biology Unit, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Mu¨hlenweg 22, 85350 Freising, Germany
Introduction Numerous and taxonomically widespread alternative reproductive strategies evolved within males, especially in species with (1) external fertilization, (2) egg guarding, or (3) high competition for a mating occasion (Taborsky et al. 2008). Their occurrence appears to be correlated with keen competition for mating opportunities, e.g. spawning localities or partners, and with alternative strategies paying off equally or higher concerning fitness. Sneaking, i.e. a parasitic alternative reproductive behavior used to exploit the reproductive investment of conspecific rival males, is a well-known alternative reproductive strategy (Taborsky et al. 2008). Sneakers have to invest in sperm quality and quantity, as they are confronted with high sperm competition during every mating (Taborsky et al. 2008). Taborsky (1998) described male sneaking behavior in 140 fish species of 28 families. However, studies on alternative reproductive strategies have only recently started in the context of biological fish invasions (McCallum et al. 2019). The round goby, Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas 1811), has invaded numerous ecosystems worldwide (Kornis et al. 2012) and often became highly abundant in invaded areas (e.g. Cerwenka et al. 2018). Reproductively active males are aggressive, defending territories or potential mating partners against intra- and interspecific competitors (Kornis et al. 2012). Females
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preferentially mate with larger (Stammler and Corkum 2005) and darker males (Yavn
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