Introduction: The Decline of the North American Species -- Native American Utilization of Sturgeon -- Distribution, Habitat, and Movements -- Environmental Requirements, Preferences, and Tolerance Limits of North American Sturgeons -- The Ecology and Functional Morphology of Feeding of North American Sturgeon and Paddlefish -- Sturgeon Ecomorphology: A Descriptive Approach -- Embryology -- Swimming and Respiration -- Sturgeon and Paddlefish Metabolism -- Growth, Bioenergetics and Age -- Genetics of North American Acipenseriformes -- Multijurisdictional Management of Lake Sturgeon in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River -- Conservation -- Aquaculture -- Conclusion: Ensuring the Future of Sturgeon.

Modern North American sturgeons and paddlefish are the result of 100 million years of evolution. Once an integral part of aboriginal culture, their numbers were decimated by overfishing and habitat destruction during the past two centuries. This book details the extensive science aimed at helping these remarkable species recover from the brink of extinction, and describes the historical, biological, and ecological importance of North American sturgeon and paddlefish. The text is enhanced by photographs and detailed line drawings. This comprehensive volume will be an invaluable resource for researchers, educators, and consultants, in academic and government settings, who work to further scientific understanding of these fishes. No other single compilation has documented current information in such detail.