Three Spined Stickleback
The three-spined stickleback is a small fish with a series of 2 to 4 characteristic strong spines forming the front part of the dorsal fin. The pelvic fins are positioned close behind the pectoral fins. The body is spindle-shaped and covered with bony plates. The back is grey-blue, olive-green or grey and the sides are silvery white. It may grow 10 cm long at the most, but the average specimens are about 4 to 6 cm in length. It usually spawns in April, but the breeding season often lasts until June. During this period the colour of the front part of the male's body changes to orange or red, the belly is silvery and the whole body has a distinct metallic sheen. The male, using bits of vegetation, builds a nest into which he drives the female. After spawning he guards the eggs there and for a short time also looks after the fry. Young three-spined sticklebacks feed on small zoo- plankton, but then progress to larger benthic animals, especially the larvae of the red midge.
This fish is a circumpolar species of the cold and temperate zones of the northern hemisphere. To the north it becomes common in the coastal regions of both the Atlantic and the Pacific. In Europe it lives in an area stretching from the Black Sea, southern Italy and the Iberian peninsula as far as the northern coast of Norway, Newfoundland and Iceland. To the east it inhabits the areas of the watersheds of the rivers Dvina, Dnieper, and as far south as the rivers of the Crimea. It is not found in the watershed of the River Volga or in the southern Balkans. It is widespread in Canada and the United States.
Maximum size and weight:
10 cm, 30 g.
Identifying characteristics: Three isolated spines at front of dorsal fin. Body covered with bony plates
