Seasonal and Long-Term Dynamics of Population Abundance of the Invasive Species Cercopagis pengoi (Ostroumov, 1891) in the Vistula (Kaliningrad) Lagoon of the Baltic Sea

Abstract

Long-term monitoring studies of abundance dynamics of the invasive species Cercopagis pengoi (Ostroumov, 1891) were conducted in the Vistula (Kaliningrad) Lagoon of the Baltic Sea. We analyzed the size and age structure of its population, individual fecundity, and distribution. We found that its population abundance abruptly fluctuated, which was caused by hydrological conditions. C. pengoi had larger individual body size and higher fecundity compared to those in its native water body or other recipient waters.