Prof. (Emeritus) Gad Degani

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