Background information and definitions
Certain fish species, such as the round goby Neogobius melanostomus, are attracted to pheromones of the same species (Gammon et al. 2005). This indicates the potential for trapping using sound and pheromonal lures, provided that possible influences on non-target species are addressed. However, whilst a number of studies have identified sound and pheromonal lures, no evidence has been found for the effectiveness of trapping round gobies or tubenose gobies Pseudorasbora parva using such lures.
Studies have shown the nature of pheromonal attraction in gobies. For example, two controlled studies demonstrated that reproductive female round gobies were attracted to reproductive male goby pheromones, whilst immature females were attracted to reproducing females but not the male pheromones (Gammon et al. 2005; Corkum et al. 2006). Also, a controlled study on well-fed juvenile round gobies found that they were attracted to the odour of eggs from their own species (Yavno & Corkum 2011).
Other studies have shown the nature of sound attraction. For example, a replicated, controlled experiment in the laboratory and in the field in the USA found that round gobies showed a highly directed response to playbacks of the calls of the same species (Rollo et al. 2007). Female round gobies in particular, showed significant attraction to speakers emitting same species male calls.
Other studies have shown the nature of visual attraction. For example, a controlled study determined that mature female round gobies were attracted to plastic models of male fish, specifically dark (reproductive) rather than mottled (immature) models (Yavno & Corkum 2009).
It may be that a combined approach of visual, sound and pheromonal lures will lead to the highest capture rate. However, it will be important to identify lures that are specific to invasive gobies. Some research leads to species-specific lures. For example, a field study in the USA reported that amino acids and bile acid released by reproductive round gobies consistently resulted in electrical activity in the smell receptors of five other species tested, but only round gobies showed a response to pheromones produced by reproductive male gobies indicating that the pheromones were species-specific in this instance (Ochs et al. 2013).
Corkum L.D., Arbuckle W.J., Belanger A.J., Gammon D.B., Weiming L. Scott A.P. & Zielinski B (2006) Evidence of a male sex pheromone in the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus). Biological Invasions, 8, 105-112.
Gammon D.B., Li W., Scott A.P., Zielinski B.S. & Corkum L.D. (2005) Behavioural responses of female Neogobius melanostomus to odours of conspecifics. Journal of Fish Biology, 67, 615-626.
Ochs C.L., Laframboise A.J., Green W.W., Basilious A., Johnson T.B. & Zielinski B.S. (2013) Response to putative round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) pheromones by centrarchid and percid fish species in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 39, 186-189. Rollo A., Andraso G., Janssen J. & Higgs D. (2007) Attraction and localization of round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) to conspecific calls. Behaviour, 144, 1-21.
Yavno S. & Corkum L.D. (2009) Reproductive female round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus) are attracted to visual male models at a nest rather than to olfactory stimuli in urine of reproductive males. Behaviour, 147, 121-132.
Yavno S. & Corkum L.D. (2011) Round goby Neogobius melanostomus attraction to conspecific and heterospecific egg odours. Journal of Fish Biology, 78, 1944-1953.