Diet partitioning in summer of two syntopic neogobiids from two different habitats of the lower Vistula River, Poland

Summary Monkey goby Neogobius fluviatilis and racer goby N. gymnotrachelus , both native to the Ponto‐Caspian region, were discovered in Polish rivers during the mid‐1990s and currently they are invading the River Vistula. Preliminary studies were carried out on the diet of both species at two sites in the lower River Vistula, one lotic (main channel of the river downstream of the Włocławek river reservoir) and the other lentic (left bank, middle section of the Włocławek Reservoir). Significant differences were noted in diet between the two species and within species according to habitat, in particular the types of chironomid taxa taken. Over a single diel cycle, monkey goby were captured between 07:00 and 19:00 hours only, feeding more intensively on chironomid larvae than the racer goby, which was captured at most times of day. The wide diet plasticity of these non‐native fish species favours their expansion.