Trade-offs between life-history traits in a coldwater fish in the Mediterranean Sea: the case of blue whiting Micromesistius poutassou.
A combination of traditional and emerging methodologies was used to assess the trade-offs between several life-history traits (linked to reproduction and condition) and parasitism in a commercially-exploited cold-water species, blue whiting Micromesistius poutassou, in the Mediterranean Sea. The use of histological and gravimetric methods revealed conflicting evidence as to the fecundity type (indeterminate or determinate) of this species. Moreover, there seem to be condition-mediated compensations between egg quality and egg quantity. The effects of parasitism on reproduction and condition are species-specific and occur mainly at high intensities of infection; they include a lower batch fecundity (affecting reproductive potential), a higher hepatosomatic index and a higher spleen-somatic index. Considering the fact that larger fish spawn more eggs and that the minimum landing size is lower than the size at maturity, these results may have implications for the future management of M. poutassou stocks in the Mediterranean Sea. Local environmental conditions may account for geographical differences regarding infection in M. poutassou. Altogether, the results support the idea that the complex trade-offs between parasitism, reproduction and condition need to be considered in order to understand the status of cold-water species such as M. poutassou.
['Serrat|Alba|A|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1700-2278', 'Lloret|Josep|J|', 'Frigola-Tepe|Xenia|X|', 'Muñoz|Marta|M|']
D000818:Animals D005260:Female D005298:Fertility D005393:Fish Diseases D048388:Gadiformes D006304:Health Status D000071421:Life History Traits D050356:Lipid Metabolism D008099:Liver D008297:Male D008522:Mediterranean Sea D009348:Nematoda D009349:Nematode Infections D009865:Oocytes D010053:Ovary D012098:Reproduction D017747:Seafood D013045:Species Specificity D013154:Spleen
condition parasitism fecundity nematodes oocyte packing density spleen