Trophic interactions between invasive mosquitofish, their prey, competitors, and predators

The colonisation of new environments (including biological invasions) is a fundamentally important process in the ecology of species, communities and entire ecosystems. Yet, we only have a poor understanding of the exact role that species interactions play in this process. The eastern mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki, is native to the USA but has been introduced worldwide for mosquito control. Using this ongoing invasion, the PhD student will sample habitats across a large longitudinal and latitudinal gradient from Italy to Spain, spanning a wide range of environmental conditions. The project will investigate the trophic ecology of invasive mosquitofish and will combine dietary (gut morphology, gut content and stable isotope analysis) and experimental (foraging, competition and exploration behaviour) approaches to investigate the impacts of invasive mosquitofish on trophic interactions, and the structure and function of freshwater ecosystems. The project will include working with mosquitofish prey (such as aquatic invertebrates), potential mosquitofish competitors (such as native European killifish) and potential mosquitofish predators (such as piscivorous birds, fishes, and invertebrates). This work will make a significant contribution to our understanding of how invasive species affect freshwater ecosystems, informing country-specific management strategies and risk assessment plans.