The Blood Indicators of Siberian Sturgeon Welfare

Animal welfare science is expanding rapidly. The use of physiological indicators is one of the most investigated ways in which to evaluate welfare. Blood samples are minimally invasive; they enable successive sampling of the same individuals and provide access to a large range of indicators from numerous physiological functions. Thus, they provide all the useful features for welfare research. The welfare of Siberian sturgeon is a very recent consideration. This chapter gathers together indicators from bibliography and our analysis which have been or could be used to assess this. The current research on stress responses and health status in Siberian sturgeon aids in the collation of this extensive information. Blood samples enable monitoring of hormonal response, biochemical and hydromineral indicators, oxidative stress parameters, immune status, hematological markers, and molecular indicators. The integration of these numerous physiological parameters in the context of welfare assessment is discussed throughout this chapter. Measuring physiological indicators from blood samples analyzed by multivariate analysis could be one of the future standards in the monitoring of fish welfare.