Fecundity and life-history strategies in marine invertebrates

The reproductive strategies of an organism play a major role in the dynamics of the population and the biogeography and continuity of the species. Numerous processes are involved in reproduction leading to the production of offspring. Although diverse processes are involved in oogenesis (the production of eggs) and spermatogenesis (the production of sperm), the basic patterns of gametogenesis are similar amongst invertebrates, with the proliferation and differentiation of germ cells leading to the final production of mature gametes. The production of gametes, especially eggs, is energetically expensive, and therefore strongly sensitive to selective pressures. An organism can ingest and assimilate a limited amount of energy from the environment. The different ways by which energy is allocated to growth and reproduction in order to maximize fitness forms the basis of the differing life-history strategies that have developed in marine invertebrates. Fecundity is defined as the number of offspring produced by a female in a determined time period. The term fecundity needs to be explicitly defined in each study in order to obtain the maximum information from the data analysed. Because of the variety of egg production patterns found among marine invertebrates, a wide range of methodologies has been developed to quantify fecundity. These include direct egg counts in brooding species, spawning induction in live individuals and histological studies of preserved material. Specific considerations need to be taken into account for colonial organisms, because of their modular organization. The production of eggs requires an optimal allocation of energy into growth and reproduction for the maximization of parental fitness. Fecundity is central in studies of life-history theory and in the development of life-history models because it is directly related to energy allocation and partitioning. There are important relationships and trade-offs between fecundity and other life-history traits, such as egg size, female size and age, age at first reproduction, reproductive effort and residual reproductive value. These trade-offs, together with morpho-functional constraints and genetic variation determine the evolution of life histories through natural selection. Fecundity is a highly plastic character within the limits defined by the bioenergetics and life-history strategy of the organism. Egg production is affected mainly by environmental factors such as food quantity and quality, temperature or presence of toxic elements in the habitat. The differences in fecundity found among closely related species from different biogeographical locations reflect, at least in part, the differing environmental conditions of their habitat.