Three-Spined Stickleback

Gasterosteus aculeatus (species), “Threespine Stickleback”, “Banstickle”, “Barnystickle”, “Barnytickle”, “Branchy”, “Branstickle”, “Burnstickle”, “Common Stickleback”, “Cushy”, “Doctor”, “Eastern Stickleback”, “European Stickleback”, “Jacksharp”, “New York Stickleback”, “Pinfish”, “Prickley”, “Prickly”, “Prickly Back”, “Santa Ana Stickleback”, “Saw-Finned Stickleback”, “Spanicle”, “Spannistickle”, “Spanny”, “Spannytickle”, “Spantickle”, “Sparnicle”, “Sparny”, “Sparnytickle”, “Spawn”, “Spawnykettle”, “Spawnytickle”, “Stickleback”, “Thornback”, “Thorny Back”, “Tiddler”, “Twospine Stickleback”

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The three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is a fish native to most inland and coastal waters north of 30°N. It has long been a subject of scientific study for many reasons. It shows great morphological variation throughout its range, ideal for questions about evolution and population genetics. Many populations are anadromous (they live in seawater but breed in fresh or brackish water) and very tolerant of changes in salinity, a subject of interest to physiologists. It displays elaborate breeding behavior (defending a territory, building a nest, taking care of the eggs and fry) and it can be social (living in shoals outside the breeding season) making it a popular subject of inquiry in fish ethology and behavioral ecology. Its antipredator adaptations, host-parasite…