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Life-history constraints on the success of the many small eggs reproductive strategy

Andersen, K H ; Beyer, J E ; Hartvig, Martin LU ; Andersen, N G and Gislason, H (2008) In Theoretical Population Biology 73(4). p.490-497
Abstract
The reproductive strategy of most fishes is to produce a large number of tiny eggs, leading to a huge difference between egg size and asymptotic body size. The viability of this strategy is examined by calculating the life-time reproductive success R-0 as a function of the asymptotic body size. A simple criterion for the optimality of producing small eggs is found, depending on the rate of predation relative to the specific rate of consumption. Secondly it is shown that the success of the reproductive strategy is increasing with asymptotic body size. Finally the existence of both upper and lower limits on the allowed asymptotic sizes is demonstrated. A metabolic upper limit to asymptotic body size for all higher animals is derived.
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
marine ecology, asymptotic size, size spectrum, life history
in
Theoretical Population Biology
volume
73
issue
4
pages
490 - 497
publisher
Academic Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000256996000004
  • scopus:43249097737
  • pmid:18367223
ISSN
1096-0325
DOI
10.1016/j.tpb.2008.02.001
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2d9cfe24-4d73-4401-9fbe-db08b40dd3ba (old id 1187234)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:21:28
date last changed
2022-03-14 05:25:45
@article{2d9cfe24-4d73-4401-9fbe-db08b40dd3ba,
  abstract     = {{The reproductive strategy of most fishes is to produce a large number of tiny eggs, leading to a huge difference between egg size and asymptotic body size. The viability of this strategy is examined by calculating the life-time reproductive success R-0 as a function of the asymptotic body size. A simple criterion for the optimality of producing small eggs is found, depending on the rate of predation relative to the specific rate of consumption. Secondly it is shown that the success of the reproductive strategy is increasing with asymptotic body size. Finally the existence of both upper and lower limits on the allowed asymptotic sizes is demonstrated. A metabolic upper limit to asymptotic body size for all higher animals is derived.}},
  author       = {{Andersen, K H and Beyer, J E and Hartvig, Martin and Andersen, N G and Gislason, H}},
  issn         = {{1096-0325}},
  keywords     = {{marine ecology; asymptotic size; size spectrum; life history}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{490--497}},
  publisher    = {{Academic Press}},
  series       = {{Theoretical Population Biology}},
  title        = {{Life-history constraints on the success of the many small eggs reproductive strategy}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tpb.2008.02.001}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.tpb.2008.02.001}},
  volume       = {{73}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}