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Life‐history plasticity under resource stress in a clonal fish (Poeciliidae: Poeciliopsis )
Author(s) -
Weeks S. C.,
Quattro J. M.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1991.tb04380.x
Subject(s) - biology , fecundity , poeciliidae , offspring , reproduction , survivorship curve , life history theory , zoology , avian clutch size , ecology , fish <actinopterygii> , life history , fishery , demography , pregnancy , population , genetics , cancer , sociology
Within‐individual plasticity for reproductive investment was examined in a clonal fish (Poeciliidae: Poeciliopsis) grown under six levels of resource stress. Growth, age at first reproduction, egg production, egg size, egg energetic content, and survivorship were measured from fish grown in three dietary and two density treatments. Growth and fecundity decreased with both increased density and food stress. Age at first reproduction increased with increased density, but was unaffected by the diet treatments. Reproductive effort (clutch size per female weight), offspring investment (egg size and egg energetic content), and survivorship were invariant across all treatment combinations. We compare these results with predictions based on theoretical treatments of optimal reproductive investment.