Adaptive Ecological and Morphological Features of the Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser baerii Brandt)

Abstract

The adaptive features of the Siberian sturgeon (ecology, species structure, nutrition, age structure, and reproduction) have been found both at species and population levels, as well as an extremely large norm of reaction underlying its plasticity, on the basis of a comparative analysis of ecological and morphological features of the closely related Russian and Siberian species of sturgeons. The extremely wide range of the norm of reaction makes it possible for relatively young species of the Siberian sturgeon to occupy vast areas and form life strategies inherent for the populations inhabiting the environment characterized by different thermal and trophic conditions.