The Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser baerii, Brandt, 1869) Volume 2 - Farming

The Siberian sturgeon, Acipenser baerii Brandt 1869 is the most widely farmed sturgeon species. Continuing from Volume 1, which focuses on the biology of the species, the present Volume 2 in turn examines farming aspects. It is divided into six parts, the first of which deals with reproduction and early ontogenesis, i.e. reproductive cycles, controlled reproduction, sperm cryoconservation, and weaning of larvae. The second covers the growing phase with a focus on food and feeding (management, fish meal replacement, potential endocrine disruptions, usefulness of prebiotics and immunostimulants, and nitrogen excretion). Production-related data are the focus of the third part and include: characteristics (countries, structures of production, evolution in production, economic features) of the gross production of the species (meat and caviar) worldwide, a method for assessing the quality of caviars, off-flavors management, and an example of production of fingerlings for restocking. Part four addresses selected long-term management issues: genetic variability of brood stocks, genome manipulation and sex control, and the advantages of hybrids. The next three chapters constitute the fifth part, which is devoted to health status (immunology and welfare). In closing, the absence of ecological risks of introducing the species in non-native waters is shown using two long-term documented examples (Russia and France). Three methodological chapters round out the volume, covering: in vitro incubation of ovarian follicles, a richly illustrated library of echographies and photos, and a detailed presentation of oxygen demand studies.  

• Acipenser baerii
• Caviar
• Conservation
• Farming
• Restocking
• Siberian Sturgeon
• Fish and Wildlife Biology
• marine and freshwater sciences

• Audenge, France

  Patrick Williot

• La Teste de Buch, France

  Guy Nonnotte

• State Center for Sturgeon Gene Pool Conservation “Kubanbioresursi”, Kuban State University, Krasnodar, Russia

  Mikhail Chebanov

Patrick Williot
Patrick took on the challenge of preventing the disappearance of the critically endangered European sturgeon and developing sturgeon farming. To do so, he mobilized all the means of research, including the use of biological models of the Siberian sturgeon. He was the kingpin of the First International Symposium on Sturgeon held in Bordeaux in 1989. In 2007, he succeeded in achieving the controlled reproduction of farmed European sturgeon for the first time. He has strongly supported Siberian sturgeon farming in France. Patrick has edited several peer-reviewed books and proceedings on aquaculture and conservation biology, mainly on sturgeon, and published over 90 papers in peer-reviewed journals or books.

Guy Nonotte
Researcher at the CNRS, with a PhD from the University of Strasbourg, Guy NONNOTTE  has pursued research on fish physiology i.e.  ionic regulation,  respiration, extracellular acid-base balance and cell volume regulationin freshwater and sea-water  fishes  exposed to environmental changes and pollutants with a specific interest in the model « Siberian sturgeon ». He supervised a thesis on the toxicity of ammonia for the Siberian sturgeon in collaboration with Dr. Patrick Williot. In 1994, he was appointed Professor of Animal Physiology at the University of Brest (France) and Emeritus Professor of this University in 2007. He has published more than 100 articles in international reviews and supervised numerous theses on fish ecophysiology.

Mikhail Chebanov 
Dr.Sc., Professor at the Aquatic Bioresources and Aquaculture Department of  Kuban State University  and  Director of State Centre for Sturgeon Gene Pool Conservation, Russia. He received an award from the Government of Russia in Science for developing technology for the year-round reproduction of sturgeon and for the global implementation of ultrasound for breeding stock management. He served as consultant FAO, convener of the Management of Sturgeons Working Party EIFAC - FAO, deputy chair and member of the IUCN Sturgeon Specialists Group. Chebanov is co-founder and member of the World Sturgeon Conservation Society board of directors. He has chaired numerous International workshops and symposia sessions.

Policies and ethics