Ponto-Caspian gobies: Changing salinity

Overall effectiveness category Beneficial
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

90%
Certainty

75%
Harms

not assessed

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Changing the salinity of an invaded waterbody may offer a tool for localised eradication or population reduction of gobies, provided potentially negative effects on native species are managed carefully. Increasing the salinity to a very high level is likely to have significant effects on non-target species.

Study locations

Key messages

A replicated, controlled laboratory study in Canada found 100% mortality of round gobies within 48 hours of exposure to water of 30% salinity.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A replicated, controlled laboratory study from 2006 to 2007 at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research in Canada (Ellis & McIsaac 2009) found that round gobies Neogobius melanostomus cannot survive for more than two days in water with 30% salinity. All fish survived five hours in water of 30% salinity. It did not make a difference if the water became salty gradually or immediately. Up to about a fifth of the fish were still alive after 24 hours. However, after 48 hours, all fish were dead. Gobies were taken from a river in Canada. Ten gobies were put in each of 12 aquaria containing 16 litres of filtered river water. The water in four of the aquaria had 30% salinity from the beginning. The salinity in another four aquaria was 4% at the start of the experiment and increased every hour to 8, 14, 24 and 30%. Every hour for five hours, and after 24 and 48 hours, dead gobies were removed and counted.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Ellis S. & McIsaac H.J. (2009) Salinity tolerance of Great Lakes invaders. Freshwater Biology, 54, 77-89.

Please cite as:

Aldridge, D., Ockendon, N., Rocha, R., Smith, R.K. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Some Aspects of Control of Freshwater Invasive Species. Pages 555-87 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

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This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Control of Freshwater Invasive Species

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Category
Ponto-Caspian gobies: UV radiation Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	Synopsis Link
Ponto-Caspian gobies: Biological control using native predators Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	Synopsis Link
Ponto-Caspian gobies: Public education Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	Synopsis Link