three-spined stickleback

species of fish

AI overview

The three-spined stickleback is a small freshwater fish found across the Northern Hemisphere that has become one of the most important species for studying how animals evolve and adapt to new environments. Scientists value this fish because it evolves rapidly, has a well-mapped genome, and can reveal how species change when they move to different habitats.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Species

Burnstickle

Species

PhylumChordata
ClassTeleostei
OrderPerciformes
FamilyGasterosteidae

Habitatmarine, brackish, freshwater

Maximum longevity: 8 years (wild)

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Wikidata facts

Instance of: taxon
Parent taxon: Gasterosteus
Image: Gasterosteus aculeatus - Epinoche - Three-spined stickleback.jpg

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Article

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 interactions, sensory physiology, reproductive physiology, and endocrinology have also been much studied. Facilitating these studies is the fact that the three-spined stickleback is easy to find in nature and easy to keep in aquaria.

Evolution