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Dryad

Ecological performance of native and invasive benthic freshwater fishes under elevated temperature

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Jan 22, 2025 version files 100.36 KB

Abstract

Climate warming of freshwater ecosystems is altering the performance and trophic interactions of native and non-native species. We compared the feeding efficiency and thermal tolerance of the Eurasian round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) and a trophically analogous native species, logperch (Percina caprodes), under current and projected mean summer surface temperatures for the nearshore lower Great Lakes (18°C and 25°C, respectively). At both temperatures, we quantified the functional response ratio (FRR) of these fishes—the ratio of their attack rate and prey handling time, which can predict trophic impacts in the field. At 18°C, juvenile logperch had a higher FRR than juvenile round gobies; however, adult round gobies had a higher FRR than logperch at either temperature, indicating a greater potential for trophic impacts. At 25°C, adult round gobies and logperch increased their prey consumption and FRR. Following acclimation to 18°C and 25°C, juvenile logperch exhibited a greater thermal acclimation capacity than the round goby. These results underscore the need for risk assessment to account for varied responses by native and non-native species to shifting thermal contexts.