Every organism has a history and its past experiences shape its present capabilities and may greatly influence the outcome of future events. For marine organisms with complex life cycles, seemingly discrete life stages separated by periods of rapid change (metamorphosis) have led researchers to focus on processes that occur within stages. Recent research highlights the interconnections among life stages and underscore that phases within a life cycle are functionally coupled. Success in one stage biases the probability of outcomes in subsequent stages. The present study reviews research on model species of tropical reef damselfish, Pomacentrus amboinensis, to highlight the fundamental importance of effects that ‘carry-over’ from previous life stages and potentially generations. Research strongly suggests that the physiological state of parents\ud
(particularly mothers) during gametogenesis pro-rate offspring success and may even influence their fitness
