What makes the round goby an effective invader?
They are very aggressive and defend prime spawning sites that native fish prefer. The round goby has a voracious appetite and feeds on eggs and fry of native fish. The goby has a well developed sensory system and an ability to detect water movement so it is able to feed in complete darkness unlike other fish. Round goby are physiologically robust and able to survive in poor water quality conditions. The spawning ability of a round goby is amazing. Females mature at 1-2 years and males at 3-4 years. Goby can spawn from April to September and can produce 300 – 5,000 eggs during each spawn. How big does the round goby get? They can reach a maximum length of about 10 in, but most commonly are observed in the U.S. at about 7 in or less. What does the round goby eat? Round goby eat aquatic insects (invertebrates), mussels such as zebra mussels, clams, snails, eggs and juveniles of native fishes such as sculpins, darters, lake trout, and logperch, and bait such as nightcrawlers. Simply, if it
