Dublin Core
Title
Coastal Fish Research
Subject
Mediterranean Sea; invasive species; non-indigenous species; biological control;
prey–predator interactions
prey–predator interactions
Description
Invasive alien species (IAS) are one of the greatest causes of native species extinction.
Indeed, they represent a global threat for biodiversity and can also affect the economy and human
health. The colonization success of IAS is presumably not only due to their biological and ecological
characteristics, but also to the lack of predators and/or parasites in the invaded new areas. In the
present work, we demonstrate evidence of predation of the invasive alien crab Percnon gibbesi
(H. Milne Edwards, 1853) by the Rock Goby Gobius paganellus Linnaeus, 1758. The diet of G. paganellus
was studied analyzing the stomach content of 162 specimens collected in the central Mediterranean
Sea. The results obtained from the calculation of the diet indices, namely, frequency of occurrence
(%F), percentage weight (%W), percentage abundance (%N), and the Index of Relative Importance
(%IRI), showed that small benthic crustaceans were the main prey types. Additionally, these indices
and the Levins’ index (Bi) clearly indicated that the invasive crab P. gibbesi was by far the most
abundant prey type in the diet of G. paganellus. The relevance of this predator–prey interaction and
the role of native species for the biological control of invasive ones are discussed. We also provide a
general view on the diet of G. paganellus and other biological and ecological aspects of specimens
studied from the central Mediterranean Sea.
Indeed, they represent a global threat for biodiversity and can also affect the economy and human
health. The colonization success of IAS is presumably not only due to their biological and ecological
characteristics, but also to the lack of predators and/or parasites in the invaded new areas. In the
present work, we demonstrate evidence of predation of the invasive alien crab Percnon gibbesi
(H. Milne Edwards, 1853) by the Rock Goby Gobius paganellus Linnaeus, 1758. The diet of G. paganellus
was studied analyzing the stomach content of 162 specimens collected in the central Mediterranean
Sea. The results obtained from the calculation of the diet indices, namely, frequency of occurrence
(%F), percentage weight (%W), percentage abundance (%N), and the Index of Relative Importance
(%IRI), showed that small benthic crustaceans were the main prey types. Additionally, these indices
and the Levins’ index (Bi) clearly indicated that the invasive crab P. gibbesi was by far the most
abundant prey type in the diet of G. paganellus. The relevance of this predator–prey interaction and
the role of native species for the biological control of invasive ones are discussed. We also provide a
general view on the diet of G. paganellus and other biological and ecological aspects of specimens
studied from the central Mediterranean Sea.
Creator
Francesco Tiralongo (Editor)
Source
https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/4131
Publisher
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (JMSE)
Date
2021
Contributor
Jadik Wijayanto
Rights
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Relation
www.mdpi.com/journal/
jmse/special issues/coastal fish research
jmse/special issues/coastal fish research
Format
PDF
Language
English
Type
Textbooks
Identifier
ISBN 978-3-0365-1450-5 (Hbk)
ISBN 978-3-0365-1449-9 (PDF)
ISBN 978-3-0365-1449-9 (PDF)
Coverage
Basel, Switzerland