Resumen de Why do fish produce so many eggs?

Sarah Ashelford

• Contrary to some popular thinking, fish do not produce a lot of eggs because so many are eaten by predators. Rather, the rate of predation on fish eggs is high because they produce such a lot of eggs. Many fish produce thousands of minute eggs, each with an infinitesimally small chance of survival because this reproductive strategy in these species results in the highest number surviving to adulthood. In other words, producing thousands of small eggs works best for many fish, given the ecological pressures upon them. This article takes this interpretation of 'Why do fish produce so many eggs?', according to the theory of life-history strategies, and considers whether this is a suitable question for 11-14 (key stage 3 of the English and Welsh curriculum) science.