Validation of a microwave energy meter to non-lethally estimate energetic reserves in adult sturgeon.

Whole-body (WB) energetic reserves influence fish survival, growth, and reproduction but are typically quantified using lethal methods ( proximate analyses) or interpreted through body condition indices. Energetic reserves can impact population dynamics through influences on growth rates, age-at-first-reproductive-maturity, and spawning periodicity at the individual-fish level, especially in long-lived sturgeon species. Therefore, a non-lethal tool to track the energetic reserves of endangered sturgeon populations could inform adaptive management and further our understanding of the sturgeon's biology.

Identification of plasma glucocorticoids in pallid sturgeon in response to stress.

Compared to teleosts, little is known about the stress response in chondrosteans, and the glucocorticoid(s) most responsive to stress have never been definitively determined in sturgeon. In terms of cortisol production, pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) have a low physiological response to stress compared to other sturgeons (Acipenser s.p.