Genotyping of invasive Ponto-Caspian gobies in Croatia

Abstract

The biology and ecology of non-native freshwater Ponto-Caspian (P-C) gobies: monkey goby, Neogobius fluviatilis (Pallas, 1814), round goby, Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1814) and bighead goby, Ponticola kessleri (Günther, 1861) have been studied in Croatia, but the genetic structure of populations in the Sava River catchment remains unknown. Only a single mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b haplotype, consistent with native Black Sea populations, has been detected within Croatian populations. Based on emerging molecular evidence, the invasive potential (e.g. upstream migration and environmental plasticity) of individual non-native gobies within the Sava River catchment, may be influenced by genetic structuring.

Keywords

• monkey goby
• round goby
• bighead goby
• haplotype
• non-native