Comparative analysis of phylogenetic and fishing effects in life history patterns of teleost fishes.

The effects of fishing on life history traits and life history strategies of teleost fishes are analysed by a new comparative method that splits traits into an allometric part (size effect), an autoregressive phylogenetic component, and an environmental component (fishing effect). Both intra- and inter-specific variation of age and size at maturity, fecundity, adult size and egg size are analysed by comparing 84 populations of 49 species submitted to various fishing pressures. Two axes of life history diversification are found among teleosts. One is the well-known slow-fast continuum separating short-lived and early maturing species (like Clupeiformes) from longer-lived species that mature late relative to their size and spawn larger eggs (like salmonids or Scorpaeniformes). An additional strategy involves the schedule of resource allocation to growth and reproduction. Indeterminate growth allows higher teleosts (e.g. Gadiformes) to reach a large size while maturing early and laying small eggs. Increasing fishing pressure decreases age at maturity and egg size, and increases fecundity at maturity, the slope of the fecundity-length relationship and relative size at maturity. These compensations for higher adult mortality differ among life history strategies. Indeterminate growth is associated with a greater flexibility in resource allocation to growth and reproduction that facilitates greater resilience to fishing mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]