Round goby Neogobius melanostomus, a new Ponto-Caspian element for Yugoslavia

Abstract

The round goby Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1811) was found for the first time in the waters of the River Danube belonging to Serbia and Yugoslavia. It was caught in the lowest Serbian stretch of the Danube, immediately downstream of the Djerdap Two dam (km 861). Its description and discrete external characters entirely corresponded to the specific diagnostic features. The analysis of diet revealed both the significant predominance of mollusks and a remarkable participation of gammarids that persisted in different age-classes. The gonad development stage detected in the late summer indicated the end of the round goby's spawning season at the lower Danube stretch in Yugoslavia. Considering the former spreading of the distribution of Ponto-Caspian gobies, it seems likely that the round goby might enter Central European waters.