Prof. (Emeritus) Gad Degani

Prof. (Emeritus) Gad Degani
Research Group Leader
Phone
97246953544

Biology and Physiology of Fish and Amphibians
This field involves research into species of fish and amphibians that are less well known. The areas of research are: reproduction growth and nutrition in nature and behavior. In addition, certain aspects of environmental physiology of species of fish and amphibians are under examination: the objects of this aspect of research is the study of metabolism, and the influence of temperature on growth, the physiological adaptation of amphibians to their environment, in water economy and the control of body fluids under the influence of different environmental conditions of moisture and temperature, especially salinity tolerance and osmoregulation. These are studies in the fields of comparative and environmental physiology.

Nutrition of Fish and Amphibians
This research can be divided into a number of areas. A portion deals with the natural food of animals. Another portion involves efforts to improve the formulation of artificial food for fish (a) through learning the chemical body composition of fish, and from this determining the percentages of its required ingredients; (b) through examining the value of protein in fish food; (c) examining the value of fats,); (d) examining the value of carbohydrates. At present, work in nutrition concentrates on the development of the formulation of food for tropical fish.

The Influence of Hormones on the Growth and Reproduction of Fish (molecular endocrinology)
Current work concerns the steroids and other hormones of fish, and their influence on various processes in fish, in particular growth, body composition, food requirements and enzymatic processes . Particularly worth mentioning is the breakthrough in which Prof. Degani has shown that growth hormones and insulin can be absorbed into the body of the fish through oral administration: up to that time it was thought that whole proteins could not be absorbed into the bloodstream via the gills or the digestive system. Further work on the reproductive system has shown that other proteinous hormones can be administered in the same way, e.g., gonadotropin. Present research work concerns hormonal control of reproduction.

Animals in the Ecological System and Environmental Behavior
Dr Degani's work on the ecology of water systems concentrates mainly on the interrelationship between various animals and their aquatic ecosystems, especially environmental influences such as water quality and food, the prime factors in animal interaction. There is an additional interest in behavioral models of animals in nature, aiming to establish how the animal adapts itself to its environment through its behavior

CV

Education
Ph.D. 1979, Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University
M.Sc. 1976, Department of Biology, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa

Academic and research experience
Since 2008-2013: Chairperson, M.Sc. Program, Department of Biotechnology, Tel Hai College
Since 1998: Professor, Tel-Hai College Faculty of Sciences and Technology
Since 1997: Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, Hebrew University
Since 1986-2011: Scientific Director, MIGAL - Galilee Technology Center
1999 – 2003: Dean of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Tel-Hai College
1987 – 1999: Academic Director of Agriculture, Tel-Hai College
1994: Visiting Professor, University of Maryland
1993: Adjunct Professor, East Carolina University, NC
1991: Visiting Scientist, City University of New York, Brooklyn College
1990-2000 Head of Golan Research institute
1983 – 1984: Visiting Scientist, East Carolina University, NC, USA
1981 – 1982: Research Associate, Department of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
Since 1979: Lecturer, Tel-Hai College Faculty of Sciences and Technology and researcher at MIGAL - Galilee Technological Center.

 

Books
Degani, G. & Gallagher, M.L. (1995). Growth and Nutrition of Eels. Israel: Laser Pages Publishing.

Degani, G. (1996). The Salamander at the Southern Limit of its Distribution. Israel: Laser Pages Publishing. 1996 Salamandra Israel PDF.pdf

Degani, G. (2001). Blue Gourami (Truchogaster Trichopterus) Model for Labyrinth Fish. Israel: Laser Pages Publishing. 2001 Blue Gourami Book PDF.pdf

Degani, G. & Yom-Din, G. (2005). Research on New Fish Species for Aquaculture in Northern Israel. Haifa, Israel: Ayalon Offset Ltd. 2005 New Fish North Israel Book  PDF.pdf

Degani, G. 2019. The Fire Salamandra (Salamandra infraimmaculata) and the Banded Newt (Triturus vittatus) Along the Southern Border of Their. Published by Scientific Research Publishing, Inc. ISBN: 978-1-61896-693-3. 2019 THE FIRE SALAMANDRA E-book.pdf

Degani, G. (2022). Interaction of Sexual Behavior and Hormone Gene Expression in the Labyrinthici Fish Blue Gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus) during Reproduction. 2022 Link to the book.

Scientific Publications

External And Internal Factors Affecting Growth and Sex Differentiation in European Eels, Anguilla anguilla

Prof. Gad Degani
2022

Sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) Acclimatization to Optimal Growth Conditions—A Case Study of Adaptation, Nutrition, Reproduction, and Sex Determination

Gad Degani
Open Journal of Animal Sciences, 12, 629-661
2022

Whole-Genome Inter-Sex Variation in Russian Sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii)

Gad Degani, Michal Nevo Sarel, Akram Hajouj, Avshalom Hurvitz, Isana Veksler-Lublinsky,
and Ari Meerson
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
2022

A Business Analysis of Innovations in Aquaculture: Evidence from Israeli Sturgeon Caviar Farm

Gad Degani and Gregory Yom Din
Businesses 2022, 2(3), 290-299
2022

A Business Analysis of Innovations in Aquaculture: Evidence from Israeli Sturgeon Caviar Farm

Gad Degani and Gregory Yom Din
Businesses 2022, 2(3), 290-299
2022

Cross-species conservation of a transposase-linked element enables genetic sexing of commercial populations of Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii)

Curzon, A.Y., Shirak, A., Meerson, A., Degani, G., Hurvitz, A., Naama Ben-Naim, N., Domovitz, R. Ron, M., Seroussi, E. 2022.
Animal Genetics, 00, 1– 6
2022

Changes in Tree Frog (Hyla savignyi) Coloration in Unstable Habitats at the Southern Border of Its Distribution

2022

Academic Research, Higher Education, and Peripheral Development: The Case of Israel

prof. Gad Degani, Prof. Dan Levanon and PhD Gregory Yom Din
2021

The Effect of Light and Soil Moisture on the Environmental Behavior of Newts (Triturus vittatus vittatus, Urodela): A Detailed Study

G.Degani
Current Research in Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences Vol. 3, 37-45
2021

Study of the Habitats, Burrowing Behavior, Physiological Adaptation and Life Cycle of Spadefoot Toad (Pelobates syriacus, Boettger, 1869) at the Southern Limit of Its Distribution in Israel

G.Degani
Current Research in Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences Vol. 3, 27-36
2021

Study of Life Cycle of Tree Frogs (Hyla savygnyi) in Semi-Arid Habitats in Northern Israel

G.Degani, B. Yazmir
Recent Research Advances in Biology Vol. 6, 84-95
2021

Ecological and Biological Adaptations of Triturus vittatus vittatus (Urodela) to an Unstable Habitat

Degani Gad and Ahkked N.
Medwin Publishers
2021

Markers of Genetic Variation in Blue Gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus) as a Model for Labyrinth Fish

Gad Degani, Isana Veksler-Lublinsky and Ari Meerson
2021

Sex-Based Variation of Gene Expression in the Gonads and Fins of Russian Sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii)

Degani, G., Hajouj, A. and Hurvitz, A.
Open Journal of Animal Sciences:11, 1-10
ISSN Online: 2161-7627
ISSN Print: 2161-7597
2021

Molecular characterization of kisspeptin receptors and gene expression analysis during oogenesis in the Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii)

Ishwar Atrea, Naama Mizrahia, Krist Hauskena, Svetlana Yom-Din, Avshalom Hurvitz, Gad Degani, Berta Levavi-Sivana
General and Comparative Endocrinology
Volume 302, 1 February 2021, 113691
2021

Economic Evaluation of Early Sex Determination for Farmed Russian Sturgeon: The Case of Northern Israel

Gregory Yom Din, Gad Degani
Scientific Research Publishing
2020

A Qualitative Model of the Interaction of Sexual Behavior and Hormone Gene Transcription in Male Blue Gourami during Reproduction

Gad Degani
Journal of Biophysical Chemistry, 2020, 11, 43-50
2020

Molecular characterization of two Russian sturgeon gonadotropin receptors: Cloning, expression analysis, and functional activity

Ishwar Atre, Naama Mizrahi, Elena Santidrian Yebra-Pimentel, Krist Hausken,Svetlana Yom-Din, Avshalom Hurvitz, Ron Dirks, Gad Degani, Berta Levavi-Sivan
General and Comparative Endocrinology
2020

Brain control reproduction by the endocrine system of female blue gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus)

Gad Degani
Biology
2020

Sex-related gonadal gene expression differences in the Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) grown in stable aquaculture conditions.

Degani G, Hurvitz A, Eliraz Y, Meerson A.
Animal Reproduction Sci. 2019 Volume 200 Pages 75-85
2019

The Fire Salamandra (Salamandra infraimmaculata) and the Banded Newt (Triturus vittatus) along the southern border of their distribution.

Degani, G.
,2019
2019

Damage to Salamandra infraimmaculata Populations by Human Activity in Creating Water Pits Is a Death Trap in Semi-Arid Habitats.

Degani, G., Grosman, U., Goldberg, T., Hanegbi, N.
Open J. Anim. Scien. 2019 Volume 9 Pages 23-34
2019

Vitellogenesis in Blue Gourami is Accompanied by Brain Transcriptome Changes.

Degani, G., Alon, A. Hajouj, A. and Ari Meerson, A.
Fishes 2019 Volume 4 Issue 4 Pages 54
2019

Ecological and Genetic Variation of the Distribution of Various Species of Amphibians at the Southern Border of their Distribution.

Degani, G
Int J Plant Anim Environ Sci. 2019 Volume 9 Pages 21-41
2019

Genetic Variation in Xeric Habitats of Triturus vittatus vittatus (Urodela) Using Mitochondrial DNA of 12S and16S, and Nuclear Gene, Rhodopsin, on the Southern Border of its Distribution.

Degani, G.
Intern. J. of Zool. Invest. 2018 Volume 4 Pages 31-40
2018