Fletcher W J
School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Marine Ecology, University of Sydney, 2006, N.S.W., Australia.
Oecologia. 1988 Jan;74(4):586-591. doi: 10.1007/BF00380057.
The reproductive cycle and reproductive effort (RE) of 2 populations of the acmaeid limpet Patelloida mufria were investigated in a subtidal region of N.S.W., Australia. These two populations had vastly different densities, rates of growth and mortality. Nonetheless, their patterns of spawning were remarkably similar with 5 spawning periods during the year of monitoring, and their values for RE were very similar; individuals from each population spawned about 35% of their somatic weight each 6 months. This does not, therefore, conform with theories that the RE of populations should be correlated with their rates of mortality. The results for P. mufria were compared with those of 4 populations of Cellana tramoserica and 2 of P. alticostata which had been studied previously at this location. There was still no general correlation between RE and mortality, but by only using certain combinations of these 8 populations (i.e. only one from each species at a time), positive or negative correlations could be obtained. This illustrated the need to ensure that intraspecific variability is accounted for in any analysis of life-history strategies. Finally, it was concluded that instead of the absolute vale of RE being important, the amount of flexibility in this and other traits may represent the real difference in strategies amongst species.
在澳大利亚新南威尔士州的一个潮下带区域，对2个群体的矮小帽贝（Patelloida mufria）的繁殖周期和繁殖投入（RE）进行了调查。这两个群体的密度、生长率和死亡率差异极大。然而，它们的产卵模式却非常相似，在监测年份中有5个产卵期，而且它们的繁殖投入值也非常相似；每个群体的个体每6个月产卵量约为其体重的35%。因此，这与种群繁殖投入应与其死亡率相关的理论不符。将矮小帽贝的结果与此前在该地点研究过的4个短滨螺（Cellana tramoserica）群体和2个高肋帽贝（P. alticostata）群体的结果进行了比较。繁殖投入与死亡率之间仍然没有普遍的相关性，但仅通过使用这8个群体的某些组合（即每次每个物种只选一个群体），就可以得到正相关或负相关。这表明在对生活史策略的任何分析中，都需要确保考虑种内变异性。最后得出的结论是，重要的不是繁殖投入的绝对值，而是这一性状和其他性状的灵活性程度可能代表了物种间策略的真正差异。
