The analysis of data in studies of invertebrate reproduction. II. The analysis of oocyte size/frequency data, and comparison of different types of data

The measurement of oocyte sizes is the best method for examining reproductive cycles in the animals on which we have worked (mainly echinoderms and molluscs). The examination of standardised residuals in an R × C contingency table permits the detailed study of the growth of oocytes, and of differences in developmental stage both within and between samples. A nested design analysis of variance permits the quantification of the degree of seasonality in a species, and makes interspecific comparisons in the amount of inter- and intra-individual synchrony possible. Comparisons between different types of data and methods of studying interpopulation differences in reproductive pattern are also reviewed