| Title: | The feeding habits and length–weight relationships of the invasive black bullhead Ameiurus melas (Rafinesque, 1820) in the Gruža Reservoir, Central Serbia |
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| Authors: | ID Radenković, Milena (Author)
ID Kojadinović, Nataša (Author)
ID Milošković, Aleksandra (Author)
ID Veličković, Tijana (Author)
ID Stojković-Piperac, Milica (Author)
ID Cvetković, Aleksa (Author)
ID Simić, Vladica (Author) |
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| Files: |  URL - Source URL, visit https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/11/3/144
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| Language: | English |
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| Typology: | 1.01 - Original Scientific Article |
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| Organization: |  NIB - National Institute of Biology
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| Abstract: | 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. |
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| Keywords: | diet composition, invasive species, freshwater ecosystem, self-organizing maps, IndVal |
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| Publication status: | Published |
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| Publication version: | Version of Record |
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| Publication date: | 27.02.2026 |
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| Year of publishing: | 2026 |
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| Number of pages: | str. 1-18 |
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| Numbering: | Vol. 11, iss. 3, [article no.] 144 |
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| PID: | 20.500.12556/DiRROS-29302  |
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| UDC: | 574 |
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| ISSN on article: | 2410-3888 |
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| DOI: | 10.3390/fishes11030144 |
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| COBISS.SI-ID: | 276143107 |
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| Note: | 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;
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| Publication date in DiRROS: | 06.05.2026 |
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| Views: | 49 |
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| Downloads: | 16 |
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