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Pungitius pungitius

(Nine-Spined Stickleback)

Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Danish:

Nipigget Hundestejle

Common Names in Dutch:

Tiendoornige Stekelbaars

Common Names in English:

Barnstickle, Barnystickle, Barnytickle, Branchy, Branstickle, Doctor, Nine-Spined Stickleback, Nine-Spined Stikleback, Ninelined Goby, Ninespine Stickleback, Pinfish, Prickley, Prickly, Prickly Back, Spanicle, Spannistickle, Spanny, Spannystickle, Spantickle, Sparnicle, Sparny, Sparnytickle, Spawn, Spawnykettle, Spawnytickle, Stickleback, Ten-Spine Stickleback, Ten-Spined Stikleback, Tenspined Stickleback, Thornback, Thorny Back, Tiny Burnstickle

Common Names in Finnish:

Kymmenpiikki

Common Names in French:

épinocheà Neufépines, épinochette, Épinoche ŕ Neuf épines, Épinochette, Kleine Stichling, Marichaud, Petite épinoche, Petiteépinoche

Common Names in Gaelic, Iris:

Snathaid Mhara

Common Names in Gaelic, Irish:

Snathaid Mhara

Common Names in German:

Kleiner Stichling, Neunstacheliger Stichling, Seestichling, Stachel De Butz, Stachelbauch, Stachele, Stachelfisch, Stechbüttel, Stecherling, Stechert, Steckbedel, Steckbüdel, Steckelbars, Steckelstange, Steckling, Steekerling, Steekling, Steigbügel, Stichbeutel, Stichlinsky, Stickelbars, Zwergstichling

Common Names in Inuktitut:

Kakelashuk, Kakidlautidlik, Kakilahaq, Kakilasak, Kakilisak, Kakilishek, Kakilusuk, Kakiva, Kakkilasak, Natagnak

Common Names in Japanese:

Ibara-Tomiyo, Kitano-Tomiyo

Common Names in Mandarin Chinese:

八棘多刺魚

Common Names in Norwegian:

Nipigget Stingsild, Småstikling, Smĺstikling

Common Names in Polish:

Cierniczek

Common Names in Portuguese:

Espinho

Common Names in Rumanian:

Osar, Osar

Common Names in Russian:

Devyatiiglaya Kolyushka, Malaja Koliushka

Common Names in Swedish:

Småspigg, Smĺspigg

Common Names in Turkish:

Kücükdikence Baligi, Kücükdikence Baligi

Description

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Family Gasterosteidae

Distribution: Northern Hemisphere. Body may be elongate , naked or with bony scutes along the sides. Three to sixteen well-developed isolated dorsal spines preceed a normal dorsal fin having 6-14 rays ; caudal fin rays 12-13; a single spine and 1-2 soft rays in the pelvic fin; three branchiostegal rays ; circumorbital ring incomplete posteriorly; epineurals present; vertebrae 28-42. About 18 cm maximum length reached in Spinachia spinachia. Sticklebacks have been widely used in scientific studies. Several subspecies are recognized by authors and the family is in need of revision .The family Gasterosteidae belongs to the Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes ) and the Order Gasterosteiformes. It contains 5 genera and 7 species. It may be found in Marine , Brackish , and Freshwater environments and is primarily Peripheral/diadromous. Some members of this family are used in the aquarium trade. Reproductively, most members of this family are guarders . The main mode of swimming of adult fish in this family is labriform . Compared with other fish, the activity level of this family tends to be normal. Members of this family have been dated back to the Miocene epoch of the Tertiary period. This family may be found from 80° n to 30° s and 180° w to 180° e. Etymology of this family name : Greek, gaster = stomach + Greek, osteon = bone

Physical Description

Species Pungitius pungitius

Body: Mouth and snout: Terminal to slightly superior and oblique , with minute teeth on upper and lower jaws . No barbels . Body patterning, color, and scales : Solid color or sometimes mottled with irregular blotches on back; silvery, gray, brown, or tan, with dark brown mottling if present; cream on belly. No scales, but variable numbers of small bony plates along anterior lateral line, caudal peduncle, and base of dorsal and anal fins. Fins with little or no pigment. Body shape and size: Body fusiform in side view and laterally compressed . Caudal peduncle with bony horizontal keels on each side. Typically 35-65 mm (1.5-2.5 in) TL ; maximum about 85 mm (3.5 in).

Fins: Tail, dorsal and other fins: Rounded or square tail. The dorsal fin consists of 8-11 (usually 9) unconnected spines of similar size followed by a fin with 9-11 connected rays . Pelvic fins thoracic and reduced to a single spine and ray. No adipose fin . Anal fin with 1 spine and 8-10 rays.

Distinguishing characteristics: The ninespine stickleback can be distinguished by the 8-11 (usually 9) similarly sized and unconnected spines on its back. See also similar species information.

Breeding adults : Breeding males with black belly and whitish pelvic fin membranes . Pink around head in breeding males and females.

Juveniles : Similar to adults.

Size/Age/Growth

Females grow faster and live longer than do other males (Ref. 27547). Males seldom live beyond age three, due to heavy post-spawning mortality , but females may live to age five or more (Ref. 27547).

Habitat

Found in shallow vegetated areas of lakes , ponds , and pools of sluggish streams ; sometimes in open water over sand (Ref. 5723). Marine populations found near shore and move into fresh water to spawn (Ref. 5723).

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,291 meters (0 to 7,516 feet).Mean = 103.860 meters (340.748 feet), Standard Deviation = 152.470 based on 4,331 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre.

Biome: Fresh water , brackish water, saltwater . Benthopelagic.

Biology

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Diet

Feeds on small invertebrates ; also on aquatic insects and their eggs and larvae (Ref. 1998).

Reproduction

Eggs are found in nests constructed from plant material (Ref. 41678).

Migration

There appears to be seasonal movements inshore to shallow water in the spring for spawning, and, in the fall , offshore to deep water , or even to the less saline parts of the sea , by the young and adults that survive spawning (Ref. 27547).

Behavior

Predators:

When abundant, it is preyed upon by other fishes (Ref. 1998); also preyed by birds (Ref. 27547).

Taxonomy

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Ambiguous Synonyms

  1. Gasterosteus burgundianus (non Blanchard, 1866)
  2. Gasterosteus pungitia burgundianus (non Blanchard, 1866)
  3. Pygosteus pungitius carinata Bertin, 1925
  4. Pygosteus pungitius semiarmata Bertin, 1925
  5. Pygosteus pungitius trachura Bertin, 1925

Unambiguous Synonyms

  1. Gasteracanthus pungitius (Linnaeus, 1758)
  2. Gasterosteus blanchardi Sauvage, 1874
  3. Gasterosteus concinnus Richardson, 1836
  4. Gasterosteus dekayi Agassiz, 1850
  5. Gasterosteus globiceps Sauvage, 1874
  6. Gasterosteus mainensis Storer, 1837
  7. Gasterosteus nebulosus Agassiz, 1850
  8. Gasterosteus occidentalis Cuvier, 1829
  9. Gasterosteus pungitius Linnaeus, 1758
  10. Gasterosteus pungitius subsp. brachypoda Bean, 1879
  11. Pungitius pungitius subsp. pungitius (Linnaeus, 1758)
  12. Pygosteus pungitius (Linnaeus, 1758)
  13. Pygosteus pungitius subsp. brachypoda (Bean, 1879)

Misapplied Names

  1. Gasterosteus burgundianus (non Blanchard, 1866)
  2. Gasterosteus pungitia burgundianus (non Blanchard, 1866)

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Ambiguous Synonym: Pygosteus pungitius trachura. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: January 04, 2003.

Family : Sticklebacks and tubesnouts .

Similar Species

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Fish Name Spines on Back Similarity Index Brook Stickleback 4-6 (usually 5), simiarly sized and unconnected Moderately similar Ninespine Stickleback 8-11 (usually 9), similarly sized N/A Threespine Stickleback 2-4 (usually 3), differently sized; first two spines much larger than the third (or forth if present) Moderately similar

Members of the genus Pungitius

There are approximately 17 species in this genus:

P. brevispinosus · P. bussei · P. hellenicus · P. kaibarae · P. laevis (Smoothtail Ninespine Stickleback) · P. occidentalis · P. platygaster (Aral Stickleback) · P. platygaster aralensis · P. pungitius (Barnstickle) · P. pungitius pungitius · P. pungitius sinensis · P. pungitius tymensis · P. pungitus · P. sinensis (Amur Nine-Spined Stickleback) · P. sinensis kaibarae · P. sinensis sinensis · P. tymensis (Sakhalin Nine-Spined Stickleback)

Bibliography

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More Info

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 17, 2007:

Identifiers

Footnotes

Last Revised: 2008-12-31