Environmental heterogeneity associated with European perch (Perca fluviatilis) predation on invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus)

Spatiotemporal environmental variation affects fish feeding behaviour and capacity for piscivorous control of prey populations, which is important for management when prey include invasive species causing ecosystem impacts. We assessed gut-contents of an important piscivore (European perch Perca fluviatilis) over two years, and analysed variables affecting initiation and amounts of feeding, focusing on an important invasive prey species, round goby (Neogobius melanostomus). We show that predation is primarily controlled by variation of physical and habitat characteristics surrounding perch. Fish prey began being incorporated in diets of perch that were > 150 mm, with temperature conditions controlling initiation of their feeding. Total amounts of fish in perch diets, and amounts of round goby individually, were strongly affected by macrophyte cover; seldom were fish present in perch stomachs when macrophyte cover was > 40%. Environmental densities of round goby were related to multivariate diet composition in ways that suggest predation of some native species may be relaxed in areas of dense round goby populations. There was evidence that perch predation is unlikely to limit populations of the invader, as there was only a weak relationship between round goby densities and amounts in gut contents. The results have ecosystem management implications, because some variables found to be important could be manipulated to control round goby or other similar invaders e.g. fisheries management of native piscivore stock density and body-size, or modification of benthic environment structure.