Variation in reproductive strategies of two amphidromous gobies of the West Indies: Sicydium plumieri and Sicydium punctatum

The trade-off between current and future reproduction remains a central issue for understanding the diversity of fish life-histories along a slow-fast continuum. Fish living in rivers of tropical oceanic islands generally have a fast type life-history, but variations in key reproductive traits can occur in response to spatial changes in selection pressures. Here, we investigated the reproductive strategies of two sympatric amphidromous gobies widely distributed in Caribbean streams, Sicydium plumieri (n = 308) and Sicydium punctatum (n = 383), along a river gradient of Guadeloupe Island. Beyond the new insights provided on the reproductive traits (ovarian organization, gonadal development, length at maturity, and spawning season), the histological observations of testes and ovaries revealed variation in reproductive strategies. Sicydium punctatum showed a time-minimizing strategy, featuring early reproduction, a high spawning frequency, an extended reproductive period, and a broad spawning area along the river course. Sicydium plumieri displayed a size-maximizing strategy, featuring a delayed maturity, lower spawning frequency, and a shorter reproductive period restricted to the upper reaches of rivers. We discuss the advantages provided by these two strategies in response to the spatial changes in predation and disturbance levels along the upstream–downstream continuum, which probably affects the survival rate and mortality risk before the first reproduction.