Patterns and propensities in reproduction and growth of marine fishes

A number of strong regularities characterize certain very basic biological parameters in marine fishes. For example, the ovulated eggs of fish usually measure approximately 1 mm in diameter. The small, relatively uniform size of the eggs means that almost all fish larvae experience environmental var iability at very similar scales, which itself establishes strong constraint s for, and links between reproduction and recruitment. Additional constrain ts emerge from seawater being a poor medium for respiration, which establis hes further linkages between growth and mortality. These constraints have p roduced strongly convergent features, and thence the patterns in reproducti on and growth of marine fishes that are presented.