Development of a Bioenergetics Model for the Round Goby Neogobius melanostomus

Round gobies invaded the Great Lakes in the 1990s via ship ballast water, and are a potential vector for transferring material between benthic and pelagic zones of these lakes. A bioenergetics model of round gobies was developed and applied to Lake Erie. This model quantifies flows of energy, contaminants, and nutrients from benthos to pelagic fishes. Weight- and temperature-dependent coefficients for metabolism and consumption were derived. As temperatures rose, food consumption also increased up to 26 degree C, then declined sharply. Weight-specific consumption diminished as fish weight increased. Specific oxygen consumption was inversely related to body mass and rose exponentially with temperature. The bioenergetics model helps to understand round goby growth, both in Lake Erie and in its native range in eastern Europe.