WASHINGTON, May 25 (Prensa Latina) Warming oceans caused by climate change could lead to changes in the growth and reproduction of marine fish, according to a study published today in the journal PLoS Biology.
Arctic fish have lower mortality rates than tropical fish and therefore delay reproduction until they are larger and able to produce more eggs, which could have implications for climate change’s impact on the sustainability of fish populations, he revealed. Research conducted by Monash University, Australia.
According to experts, fish continue to grow throughout their lives and the largest tend to produce a disproportionate number of eggs, making them worth breeding later in life, while fish that mature slowly run the risk of dying before they can reach reproductive age.
Therefore, life history theory posits that the age at which a fish begins reproducing should be influenced by the growth rate and mortality risk of the species.
To test this hypothesis, the researchers applied an existing mathematical model of life history evolution to published data on birth weight, growth rate and adult mortality for 47 species of marine fish.
They found that tropical fish had an 80 percent higher mortality rate than arctic fish.
Published data on marine fish confirmed the model’s predictions: polar species tend to reproduce much later than tropical species, and the number of eggs they produce increases more with increasing body size.
These results suggest that climate change could lead to changes in the growth and reproduction of marine fish, as warmer oceans cause fish to breed earlier in life while they are small and produce fewer eggs as a result.
According to the study authors, this could have a significant impact on fish stocks and fisheries worldwide.
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