3.0 RESULTS
A total of 3,488 individuals were sampled and measured for length, weight, gonad maturation, and fecundity over the study period (Table 1). Infected individuals had an overall lower fecundity than non-infected individuals (glmmPQL, estimate = -1.08 ± 0.08, d.f. = 3416, t=-13.92,P < 0.001; Figure 2).
Reproductive investment at maturity (relative weight of gonads at stage IV) in non-infected E. sardella increased significantly from 2005 to 2015 (glm, estimate = 0.14 ± 0.01, d.f. = 1, t = 9.59, P< 0.001; Figure 3).
To test whether LM50 (the length at which the probability of maturing is 0.5) varied over time, we fitted two models, one with and one without a quadratic term for year. The model with quadratic term was retained as final model due to lower residual deviance (null deviance = 12.48; residual deviance with quadratic term = 0.97; residual deviance without quadratic term = 2.09) and lower AIC value (AIC, with quadratic term = 13.01; without quadratic term = 18.71). LM50 decreased significantly over time (lm, year: estimate = -150 ± 52.5, d.f. = 1, t = -2.86, P = 0.02; year^2: estimate = 0.04 ± 0.01, d.f. = 1, t = 2.85, P = 0.02; Figure 4).