By Erik StokstadMay. 10,
2018 , 2:50 PM
There is no fertility clock for
fish. Unlike in mammals, the reproductive ability of most female fish just
keeps increasing as they age and grow—bigger fish produce more and more eggs.
In many species, the fecundity gains can be especially impressive, creating
what might be called “superspawners” that produce disproportionately large numbers
of offspring, a new study finds. But these reproductive giants aren’t getting
enough protection under fishing regulations, the authors suggest.
Some fisheries scientists
disagree with that conclusion. But the finding is “a perfect reminder that in
order to rebuild fish stocks and prepare them for global change, we have to
increase the proportion of large fish,” says Rainer Froese, a marine ecologist
at the Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel, Germany, who was not
involved in the study.
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