The Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser baerii, Brandt, 1869)

This two-volume book set focuses on the Siberian sturgeon. Acipenser baerii Brandt 1869, one of the 27 “existing” sturgeon species, is a native species of the Siberian catchments, where – as in many other parts of the world – the sturgeon populations are now threatened. Sturgeon farming practices targeting caviar and meat production have been expanding worldwide since the 1990s, and have seen a further increase since the turn of the century. Among the handful of sturgeon species used for significant production, the most dominant is the Siberian sturgeon. Given its peculiar phylogenetic position as a chondrostei and its use as a biological model in e.g. France, the species has also attracted the attention of biologists. 

The aim of the editors was to provide for the first time a comprehensive and updated synthesis regarding the farming-related biology of the Siberian sturgeon. In light of the abundance of material, it has been divided into two volumes, with a focus on biology and farming, respectively. The main parts of Volume 1 are Biology and ecology, Biology and physiology of reproduction, and Ecophysiology, i.e. adaptation to the environment. In turn, Volume 2 is divided into six parts: Reproduction and early ontogenesis, Growing, Global production, Long-term management of brood stock, State of health through welfare and immunology, and Ecological risks of installation in non-native waters, illustrated by two long-term documented examples in Russia and France.