Endurance swimming performance and physiology of juvenile Green Sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) at different temperatures, CA, 2022

This dataset provides information on the endurance swimming performance and physiological responses of juvenile Green Sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris), reared and tested at the University of California, Davis, in 2022. Fish were acclimated to two temperature treatments (13°C and 18°C) for 14 days prior to swimming trials. Endurance tests were conducted at 47–53 days post-hatch (DPH) in modified swim tunnels at fixed water velocities (25–55 cm s⁻¹) to measure time-to-fatigue (End.min), station-holding behavior (Station_holding), and swimming type (Swim.type). Fish morphometrics (e.g., weight, fork length, total length) were recorded before trials. Post-swim physiological analyses included whole-body measurements of cortisol, glucose, lactate, and protein. Tissue homogenates were processed to determine concentrations normalized to fish weight (e.g., Cortisol_ng_g, Glucose_ug_g, Lactate_ug_g). Standard curves showed high assay linearity (R² > 0.98) and low variability (CV < 10%). This dataset contributes to understanding sturgeon endurance and physiological stress under different environmental conditions, providing insights into their resilience to temperature and flow changes relevant to river management and conservation efforts. Variables include: species, developmental stage (DPH), rearing and trial conditions (tank, temperature, velocity), fish morphometrics (weight, fork length, total length), and physiological metrics (cortisol, protein, glucose, and lactate).