20.500.12556/DiRROS-29302 The feeding habits and length–weight relationships of the invasive black bullhead Ameiurus melas (Rafinesque, 1820) in the Gruža Reservoir, Central Serbia Invasive freshwater fishes often display high trophic plasticity, facilitating their establishment and persistence in novel environments. This study examined the feeding ecology, growth patterns, and trophic role of the invasive black bullhead Ameiurus melas in the eutrophic Gruža Reservoir (Central Serbia), with emphasis on ontogenetic dietary shifts and potential ecological impact. Diet composition was analyzed in 103 individuals representing three age classes using traditional diet indices, Costello graphical analysis, self-organizing maps (SOMs), and the Indicator Value (IndVal). Chironomidae, Protozoa, and fish eggs were the dominant dietary components across age classes, although their relative importance varied ontogenetically. Younger individuals exhibited a more generalized feeding strategy, whereas older fish showed increased specialization on benthic prey. SOM-IndVal analyses revealed prey taxa associated with specific feeding patterns at the individual level, identifying Diptera as an indicator prey not detected by population-level indices. Length–weight relationships indicated negative allometric growth (b < 3) across all age classes, consistent with a diet dominated by low-energy prey. These feeding patterns may contribute to altered benthic processes, reduced native fish recruitment, and reinforcement of eutrophic conditions. Overall, the results highlight the pronounced trophic flexibility and ecological plasticity of A. melas, supporting its invasive success in degraded freshwater ecosystems. diet composition invasive species freshwater ecosystem self-organizing maps IndVal sestava prehrane invazivne vrste sladkovodni ekosistem IndVal true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Neznano 2026-05-06 14:38:01 2026-05-06 14:38:01 2026-05-07 03:47:02 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2026 0 0 Nasl. z nasl. zaslona; Opis vira z dne 22. 4. 2026; Soavtorji: Nataša Kojadinović, Aleksandra Milošković, Tijana Veličković, Milica Stojković Piperac, Aleksa Cvetković, Vladica Simić; str. 1-18 iss. 3, [article no.] 144 Vol. 11 Feb. 2026 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 2026-02-27 574 2410-3888 10.3390/fishes11030144 276143107 https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/11/3/144 1 6ce00f58-4948-11f1-8a5a-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=43858 Nacionalni inštitut za biologijo 0 0 0