The biology of the Siberian sturgeon Acipenser baerii Brandt 1869 has become a very
attractive subject of investigation for biologists since the 1980s. This volume 1 is part of a
two-volume set devoted to the species the second of which focuses on farming. The present
volume is divided into three parts: Biology and ecology Biology and physiology of reproduction
and Ecophysiology i.e. adaptation to the environment. The first part addresses a broad range
of topics such as: the ecology including a new approach to species-specificity a new insight
on the mineralization of vertebral elements two approaches to sex determination transposable
elements in the gonads early ontogeny olfaction and gustation nutrition and swimming. The
second part includes neurochemical and anatomical descriptions of the central nervous system
and an updated version of the oogenesis the characteristics of both sperm and spermatozoa and
a synthesis on gonadal steroids (synthesis plasmatic levels and biological activities). In
turn the third part reveals how the physiology of the species changes depending on
environmental factors such as oxygen ammonia and nitrite. Some fundamental consequences of
ammonia are developed (sublethal and lethal levels effects on gill epithelium and haematology
acid-base balance on AA and adenyl nucleotides levels in plasma brain and muscle tissue). In
addition the book includes two methodological chapters dealing with fish dorsal aortic
cannulation and respiration physiology.
