Synopsis
Allocation of energy to current reproduction at the expense of other functions, such as growth, can limit future reproductive potential. This cost of reproduction is a central concept of life history theory but has been difficult to verify in comparative field studies. Three levels of comparison of growth rates and reproductive investments were evaluated within and among populations of longear sunfish,Lepomis megalotis. All three demonstrated high levels of reproductive investment associated with reduced somatic growth. Within populations of central longear sunfish there are precociously mature sneaker makes and later maturing parental makes; sneakers have greater gonadosomatic index (GSI) values and slower somatic growth rates than parental makes. Between subspecies of longear sunfish grown under common conditions, there are differences in age at maturity and in the level of physiological reproductive investment that are associated with distinct differences in growth rates. Between populations of central longear sunfish inhabiting different sites, there are differences in the level of reproductive investment that are also associated with differences in somatic growth. Each comparison produced evidence that trade-offs occur between these life history traits, supporting the hypothesis that there is a cost of reproduction among male sunfish and suggesting that differences in strategies of reproductive investment contribute to variation in somatic growth.
Similar content being viewed by others
References cited
Bagenal, T.B. 1978. Aspects of fish fecundity. pp. 75–101. In: S.D. Gerking (ed.) Ecology of Freshwater Fish Production, Wiley, New York.
Becker, G.C. 1983. The fishes of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 1052 pp.
Bennet, G. 1971. Management of artificial lakes and ponds. Rheinhold, New York. 375 pp.
Berra, T.M. & G.E. Gunning. 1970. Repopulation of experimentally decimated sections of streams by longear sunfish,Lepomis megalotis megalotis (Rafinesque). Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 99: 776–781.
Carlander, K.D.1977. Handbook of freshwater fishery biology, Volume 2. Iowa State University Press, Ames. 431 pp.
Carlander, K.D. 1982. Standard intercepts for calculating lengths from scale measurements for some centrarchid and percid fishes. Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 111: 332–336.
Caswell, H. 1982. Life history theory and the equilibrium status of populations. Amer. Nat. 120: 317–338.
Dupuis, H.M.C. & M.H.A. Keenleyside. 1988. Reproductive success of nesting male longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis peltastes), I. Factors influencing spawning success. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 23: 109–116.
Fox, M.G. & A. Keast. 1991. Effect of overwinter mortality on reproductive life history characteristics of pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) populations. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 48: 1792–1799.
Gross, M.R. 1980. Sexual selection and the evolution of reproductive strategies in sunfishes (Lepomis: Centrarchidae). Ph.D. Dissertation. University of Utah, Salt Lake City. 319 pp.
Gross, M.R. 1982. Sneakers, satellites, and parentals: polymorphic mating strategies in North American sunfishes. Z. Tierpsychol. 60: 1–26.
Gross, M.R. & E.L. Charnov. 1982. Alternative male life histories in bluegill sunfish. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 77: 6937–6940.
Grossman, G.D., P.B. Moyle & J.O. Whittaker,Jr. 1982. Stochasticity in structural and functional characteristics of an Indiana stream fish assemblage: a test of community theory. Amer. Nat. 120: 423–454.
Horn, H.S. & D.R. Rubenstein. 1984. Behavioral adaptions and life history. pp. 279–298. In: J.R. Krebs & N.B. Davies (ed.) Behavioral Ecology and Evolutionary Approach, Sinauer Assoc., Sunderland.
Horwitz, R.J. 1978. Temporal variability patterns and the distribution patterns of stream fishes. Ecol. Monogr. 48: 307–321.
Hubbs, C.L. & G.P. Cooper. 1935. Age and growth of the longeared and the green sunfishes in Michigan. Pap. Mich. Acad. Sci., Arts, and Lett. 20: 669–696.
Jennings, M.J. 1991. Sexual selection, reproductive strategies, and genetic variation in the longear sunfishLepomis megalotis. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Illinois, Urbana. 169 pp.
Jennings, M.J. & D.P. Philipp. 1992. Female choice and male competition in longear sunfish. Behav. Ecol. (in press).
Keenleyside, M.H. 1972. Intraspecific intrusions into nests of spawning longear sunfish (Pisces: Centrarchidae). Copeia 1972: 272–278.
Larimore, R.W., W.F. Childers & C. Heckrotte. 1959. Destruction and reestablishment of stream fish and invertebrates affected by drought. Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 88: 261–285.
Schlosser, I.J. 1982. Fish community structure and function along two habitat gradients in a headwater stream. Ecol. Monogr. 52: 395–414.
Schultz, E.T. & R.R. Warner. 1989. Phenotypic plasticity in life-history traits of femaleThalassoma bifasciatum (Pisces: Labridae): 1. Manipulations of social structure in tests for adaptive shifts of life-history allocations. Evolution 43: 1497–1506.
Schultz, E.T. & R.R. Warner. 1991. Phenotypic plasticity in life-history traits of femaleThalassoma bifasciatum (Pisces: Labridae): 2. Correlation of fecundity and growth rate in comparative studies. Env. Biol. Fish. 30: 333–344.
Smith, P.W. 1979. The fishes of Illinois. Univ. of Illinois Press, Urbana. 314 pp.
Stearns, S.C. 1976. Life history tactics: a review of the ideas. Quart. Rev. Biol. 51: 3–46.
Stearns, S.C. 1989. The evolutionary significance of phenotypic plasticity. Bioscience 39: 436–445.
Trautman, M.B. 1957. The fishes of Ohio. The Ohio State University Press, Columbus. 683 pp.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jennings, M.J., Philipp, D.P. Reproductive investment and somatic growth rates in longear sunfish. Environ Biol Fish 35, 257–271 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00001892
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00001892