The Crustacea is one of the dominant invertebrate groups, displaying staggering diversity in form and function, and spanning the full spectrum of Earth's environments. Crustaceans are increasingly used as model organisms in all fields of biology, as few other taxa exhibit such a variety of body shapes and adaptations to particular habitats and environmental conditions. Physiology is the fourth volume in The Natural History of the Crustacea series, and the first book in over twenty-five years to provide an overview of the comparative physiology of crustaceans. An understanding of physiology is crucial to a comprehension of the biology of this fascinating invertebrate group. Written by a group of internationally recognized experts studying a wide range of crustacean taxa and topics, this volume synthesizes current research in a format that is accessible to a wide scientific audience.

Maintaining the original goal of the first edition to integrate the basic science of endocrinology with its physiological and clinical principles, this new edition succinctly summarizes in 450 pages the latest findings on hormone secretion and hormone action, as well as all the most recent insights into the physiology and pathophysiology of hormonal disorders. Coverage extends across the entire spectrum of endocrinology-from mammalian cells, plants, and insects to animal models and human diseases-with much increased coverage of diabetes and metabolism. Highlights include cutting-edge discussions of appetite disorders, obesity, reproductive failure, control of thyroid function, hormone action in man and the lower species, and the mechanisms subserving hormone secretion.

With the decline in world fish stocks, our knowledge of fish reproduction has become fundamental. Reproduction is an essential commitment to future generation. It is also a continuous development process throughout ontogeny, requiring energetic, ecological, physiological, anatomical, biochemical and endrocrinological adaptations. The first chapters highlight important issues affecting fish normal ways of reproductive development; details would focus on species living in opposite environments, such as tropical and polar fishes; far related, as teleosts and cartilaginous fishes; and finally, fish having different reproductive strategies. Thereafter, since many fishes live in detrimental environments, mainly induced by the continuous input of xenobiotic substances into waterways, the authors found it highly pertinent to include this topic. Herein, the authors fix their attention on the factors and mechanisms that may well affect reproductionrelated hormonal systems as also on known consequences for fish living i

As in the bestselling first edition, The Physiology of Fishes, Second Edition is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art review of the major areas of research in modern fish physiology. This Second Edition is entirely revised, with 17 of the 18 chapters written by new authors. It also includes four entirely new chapters:

Provides interested readers with a current understanding of the biology of fishes as it relates to their utility in the laboratory.