1 Oocyte diameter

    average diameter of the unfertilised egg, i.e., mature, fully yolked ovarian oocyte ready to be or just released (in mm)

    2 Egg size after water-hardening

    average diameter of the fertilized egg after swelling, due to water uptake (in mm)

    3 Egg Buoyancy

    of the fertilized swollen egg, being either demersal (sinks to the bottom), semi-pelagic (remains for a short period in the water column, then sinks) or pelagic (floats on or near the surface of the water and could derive for a long distance, several kilometres), scored as a three-state variable [demersal, semi-pelagic, pelagic]

    4 Egg adhesiveness

    of the fertilized egg after water-hardening. Eggs, which are slightly sticky only prior to water-hardening, were considered as non-adhesive, scored as a binary variable [non-adhesive, adhesive]

    5 Incubation time

    average number of days required in natural conditions from fertilization to hatching, period designed as “incubation”

    6 Temperature for incubation

    average temperature, in degree Celsius (°C), encountered during the incubation period of egg

    7 Degree-days for incubation

    average degree-days (temperature*time, with temperature in degree Celsius (°C) and time in days), required for the entire incubation of egg

    8 Initial larval size

    average larval size upon hatching (in mm)

    9 Larvae behaviour

    behaviour of the larvae prior to exogenous feeding, being either demersal (remain near the bottom) or pelagic (swim actively near the surface), scored as a binary variable [demersal, pelagic]

    10 Reaction to light

    larvae during the first days after hatching are either negatively (photophobic) or positively (photopositive) attracted to light, scored as a binary variable [photophobic, photopositive]

    11 Temperature during larval development

    average temperature, in degree Celsius (°C), encountered until the post-larvae stage (i.e., while starting exogenous feeding)

    12 Sibling intracohort cannibalism

    intra-specific predation of members of the same cohort during the post-larval growth, scored as a binary variable [absent, present]

    13 Full yolk-sac resorption

    average period of time, in degree-days, required for the complete resorption of the yolk-sac

    14 Onset of exogeneous feeding

    average period of time, in degree-days, required for the beginning of the exogenous feeding

    15 Age at sexual maturity

    average age at maturity (in years)

    16 Length at sexual maturity

    average total body length at maturity (in cm)

    17 Weight at sexual maturity

    average body weight at maturity (in kg)

    18 Female sexual dimorphism

    females of some species develop secondary sexual characters during the breeding season, scored as a binary variable [Absent, Present]

    19 Relative fecundity

    average number of eggs (in thousands) per kilogram of body weight

    20 Absolute fecundity

    average number of eggs (in thousands) recorded by individual female

    The six following characters aimed at describing the main events within the reproductive cycle:

    21 Oocyte development

    synchronous (all oocytes present within the ovary are at the same stage of development), group-synchronous (at least two distinct populations of oocytes at different development stages) and asynchronous (oocytes at all stages of development), scored as a three-state variable [synchronous, group-synchronous, asynchronous]

    22 Onset of oogenesis

    defined as the months in the year when an initial significant inflexion and increase in the GSI is observed. This period corresponds to the onset of the active vitellogenesis, mainly endogenous

    23 Intensifying oogenesis activity

    defined as the months in the year when the GSI displays the largest increase. This period mainly corresponds to the end of the active vitellogenesis, prior to the final maturation of oocytes (i.e., oocyte meiotic resumption and ovulation)

    24 Maximum GSI value

    corresponds to the average maximal GSI value (%) observed within the entire reproductive cycle

    25 Oogenesis duration

    corresponds to the total duration of the oogenesis process from the initial significant inflexion and increase in GSI until ovulation (in months)

    26 Resting period

    corresponds to the duration of gonadal quiescence between two consecutive reproductive cycles when the ovaries are recovering from the spawning act (in months)

    27 Age at sexual maturity

    average age at maturity (in years)

    28 Length at sexual maturity

    average total body length at maturity (in cm)

    29 Weight at sexual maturity

    average body weight at maturity (in kg)

    30 Male sexual dimorphism

    males belonging to certain species develop secondary sexual characters during the breeding season, scored as a binary variable [absent, present]

    The five following characters aimed at describing the main events within the reproductive cycle:

    31 Onset of spermatogenesis

    defined as the months in the year when a significant increase in the GSI is observed. This period mainly corresponds to the initial proliferation of spermatogonia through repeated mitotic divisions, and primary spermatocytes differentiation

    32 Main spermatogenesis activity

    defined as the months in the year when the GSI displays a sharp increase. This period mainly corresponds to the transformation of spermatocytes into mature spermatozoa (including the spermiogenesis process) and prior to spermiation

    33 Maximum GSI value

    corresponds to the average maximal GSI value (%) observed within the entire reproductive cycle

    34 Spermatogenesis duration

    corresponds to the total duration of the spermatogenesis process from the initial proliferation of spermatogonia to spermiation (in months)

    35 Resting period

    corresponds to the duration of gonadal quiescence between two consecutive reproductive cycles when the testis are recovering from the spawning act (in months)

    36 Spawning migration distance

    average distance run by adults to get to the spawning grounds (in km)

    37 Spawning migration period

    months in the year when some species display extensive spawning run

    38 Homing

    accurate returning behaviour of some teleosts to their natal areas to spawn, scored as a binary variable [absent, present]

    39 Spawning season

    usual months of the presence of spawners on the spawning ground

    40 Spawning period duration

    period of time when spawners are present on the spawning ground (in weeks)

    41 Spawning temperature

    average temperature observed during the spawning period (°C)

    42 Spawning water type

    kind of water frequented during the spawning season, could be either stagnant water such as ponds or lakes (with no or slight current) or rivers and streams (with much more current), scored as a binary character [stagnant water, flowing or turbulent water]

    43 Spawning depth

    average depth at which spawning occurs (meters)

    44 Spawning substrate

    teleost species either scatter their eggs in the water column (pelagophils), or deposit their eggs (i) on a rock or gravel bottom (lithophils), (ii) on plants (phytophils), (iii) on roots or grass above the sandy bottom or on the sand itself (psammophils) or (iv) into gill cavity of mussels (ostracophils). This character is mainly derived from Balon (1975) classification of reproductive guilds of teleost fishes, and scored as a five-state variable [pelagophils, lithophils, phytophils, psammophils, ostracophils]

    45 Spawning site preparation

    teleost species scatter their eggs either in the water column, directly over the substrates, or within a nest, which is a depression dug into the substrate by either the male, the female or both parents, scored as a five-state variable [open water/substratum scatter, substrate chooser, nest built by male, nest built by female, nest built by both parents]

    46 Nycthemeral period of oviposition

    main period during the day when mass spawning occurs, scored as a four-state variable [night, dawn, day, dusk]

    47 Mating system

    teleost species display three main kind of mating system: monogamous (one male and one female), polygamous (an individual, either the male or the female, has several mates), and promiscuity (both sexes have multiple partners within a single season), scored as a four-state variable [monogamy, polygyny, polyandry, promiscuity]

    48 Spawning release

    teleost species display three main kind of egg release during the breeding season: total (all eggs are shed at the same time), fractional (several batches of eggs are released at intervals, usually over several days or weeks, but the potential breeding season fecundity is fixed before spawning, also known as determinate fecundity) or multiple (several batches of eggs are shed more than once through a long spawning season, and there is a recruitment to the stock of spawnable oocytes during the entire spawning season, also known as underminate fecundity), scored as three-state variable [total, fractional, multiple]

    49 Parity

    teleost species are either iteroparous (most individuals survive after the spawning act, i.e., several reproductive cycles during a lifetime) or semelparous (most or all individuals die, i.e., only one reproductive cycle during a lifetime), scored as a binary variable [semelparous, iteroparous]

    50 Parental care

    association between one or both parents and offspring that enhances offspring development and survival (e.g. males of some species guard and aerate their eggs and larvae for several weeks), scored as a four-state variable [no care, male parental care, female parental care, biparental care]