Feeding habits of padogobius bonelli (osteichthyes: Gobiidae) in the curone creek (northwest Italy): Territoriality influences diet?

Padogobius bonelli in Curone Creek (Italy) fed mainly on aquatic insects, positively selecting Chironomidae, Simuliidae, and Hydroptilidae and negatively Baetidae, possibly related to the high mobility of the latter. When studying the variation of the diet with size, a positive correlation with some big prey items was detected. Nevertheless, no differences were detected when prey diversity was considered. Finally, the huge difference in the gut content among the individuals could be related to the marked territoriality of this species in the breeding season when this study was carried out.