Biology of Antarctic Fish

This book presents the most recent findings on the biology of fisht in the unique environment of the Antarctic ocean. At present the year-round temperature of the coastal waters is very near -1, 87 degrees centigrade, the equilibrium temperature of the ice-seawater mixture. This extremely low temperature affects different levesls of organization of fish life: individuals, organ systems, cells, organelles, membranes, and molecules. Exploring ecology, evolution, and life history as well as physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology of Antarctic fish the book describes the mechanisms of cold adaptation at all these leves. It provides materials for discussion also for fundamental questions in the field of adaptation to an extreme environment and therefore is of particular interest not only to specialized scientists, but also to those involved in basic and evolutionary biology.