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The Influence Of Somatic Investment On The Patterns Of Reproduction In Poecilia Latipinna (Pisces: Poeciliidae), Jeffrey D. Wetherington

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

In Poecilia latipinna size-specific reproductive and survivorship patterns were correlated with changes in habitat availability. Of the numerous physical, chemical, and biological parameters associated with a reduction in available habitat, probably the most important was reduced food availability. Large (old) females, theoretically with a low reproductive value, allocated energy to reproduction regardless of habitat and, presumably, food availability. When reproductive activities were initiated in March, habitat availability was modest. In association with a severe reduction in available habitat in April, large females were subject to a substantial loss of body weight during the yolk-loading phase of the reproductive cycle. This …