Shifting ocean conditions influence temporal variation in the fecundity of California Current rockfishes (Sebastes spp.)

Abstract

Successful reproduction is critical to the growth and persistence of marine fish populations, yet how changes in the environment influence reproduction remains largely unknown. We explored how shifting ocean conditions influenced larval production in four species of long-lived, live-bearing rockfish ( Sebastes spp.) in the California Current. Brood fecundity, body size, and environmental information were analyzed from the mid-1980s through 2020. Interannual variation in brood fecundity was greater than 50% in the single-brooding yellowtail rockfish ( S. flavidus) and widow rockfish ( S. entomelas). Brood fecundity varied less in chilipepper ( S. goodei) and bocaccio ( S. paucispinis), two species capable of multiple broods per year. In these two species, interannual fecundity variability is more likely to depend on the number of broods produced than on brood size alone. In all four species, brood fecundity was positively correlated with maternal length and body condition. Variable ocean conditions influenced the strength of maternal size effects by year. These results provide evidence for reproductive plasticity and environmental effects on fecundity, with implications for changes in population reproductive potential with climate change.