Data from: Selection for life-history traits to maximize population growth in an invasive marine species

Species establishing outside their natural range, negatively impacting local ecosystems,
are of increasing global concern. They often display life-history features characteristic
for r-selected populations with fast growth and high reproduction rates to
achieve positive population growth rates (r) in invaded habitats. Here, we demonstrate
substantially earlier maturation at a 2 orders of magnitude lower body mass
at first reproduction in invasive compared to native populations of the comb jelly
Mnemiopsis leidyi. Empirical results are corroborated by a theoretical model for competing
life-history traits that predicts maturation at the smallest possible size to
optimize r, while individual lifetime reproductive success (R0), optimized in native
populations, is near constant over a large range of intermediate maturation sizes.
We suggest that high variability in reproductive tactics in native populations is an
underappreciated determinant of invasiveness, acting as substrate upon which selection
can act during the invasion process.