Promising ichthyologic studies in Lake Baikal: fundamental and applied aspects

Promising areas of ichthyologic research in Lake Baikal have been examined. Particular attention is being paid to the technology of remote fish census, including hydroacoustic methods and the method of quantitative environmental DNA analysis. These technologies may provide information on the status of artificially reproducible populations in reservoirs for developing a proper fishing strategy. The areas of application of molecular genetic methods for solving applied problems in creating the biological bases of fisheries, studying diseases, associated microflora and parasitic fauna, as well as for identifying fish feed objects have been determined. Studies aimed at restoring and maintaining the populations of rare and endangered fish species using artificial reproduction methods, including breeding, hybridization, hormonal stimulation of spawning producers, cryopreservation of sexual products, individual tagging, etc., are discussed. Prospects of mobile remote underwater video monitoring systems, the EthoStudio software package and the holography method to simulate sensory reaction in studying mechanisms of adaptations of fish in natural environment and to develop criteria for assessing their stability in aquaculture conditionshave been reviewed. Combining ethological studies and in-depth integrated morphological, molecular-genetic and physiological-biochemical screening of Baikal fish that would allow to better understand fundamental evolutionary processes responsible for the formation of behavioral adaptations, creation and maintenance of genetic diversity within and between populations in the natural environment, as well as developing recommendations on the introduction of state-of-the-art scientific monitoring approaches into aquaculture are very promising.