ABSTRACT
Based on different life history traits, both “semelparous” species, as de ned by Cole (1954), i.e. experiencing only one reproductive season, and “iteroparous” ones, i.e. reproducing more than once during their life span, have been found in gobies (Miller, 1984). Environmental conditions appear to in uence the frequency of breeding seasons, the number of clutches, the number of eggs per clutch and the size of the eggs released by females in each season. In temperate areas-such as the Mediterranean-gobies have one reproductive season per year whereas in tropical ones two seasons may occur. However, the number and the duration of the breeding period may vary within species if its range of geographical distribution is wide, as documented in the mudskipper Boleophthalmus dussumeri. is species reproduces once a year along the western coast of India (Mutsadi and Bal, 1970) and on the Jodia coast (Soni and George, 1986) and twice a year on the Karachi coast, Pakistan (Hoda and Akhtar, 1985). Females may lay several egg batches during a reproductive season (Miller, 1984) but clutch number and size and egg size, despite generally being species speci c, can vary within and/or among populations in response to several factors, such as female size, food availability, spawning season, or latitudinal distribution (e.g. Reavis, 1997; Mazzoldi et al., 2002; Yamasaki and Takihara, 2006).
