Three-spined stickleback. Three-spined stickleback (gasterosteus aculeatus) Like a stickleback fish, you are a greedy fish

Type: semi-through
Lifestyle: pelagic
Power type: semi-predatory
Habitat: Black Sea basin, Baltic Sea basin, Arctic Ocean basin, swimming pool Pacific Ocean, Mediterranean basin

Appearance: The body of three-spined sticklebacks is relatively high, laterally compressed, with a short caudal peduncle. Instead of scales, the sides of the body are covered with bone plates, like a shell. The head is pointed. The mouth is terminal and of moderate size. The gill membranes are attached to the interbranchial space without forming a fold across it. There are three large spines in front of the dorsal fin. The pelvic fins are transformed into spines. The dorsal and abdominal spines, when raised, are locked with a special latch and represent a formidable weapon. Three-spined sticklebacks live in the sea and in fresh waters; those living in the sea are usually larger than freshwater ones, more heavily armed, the lateral carinae on the caudal peduncle are well developed, bone plates on the sides of the body form full row; in freshwater forms these plates are present only near the head and on the caudal peduncle. The length of the three-spined stickleback in the White Sea is up to 9 cm (usually the average size of males is 6.5 cm, females - 7.5 cm), and in the Pacific Ocean near Kamchatka - up to 10 cm. In fresh waters and in more southern regions, the length is usually no more than 4-6 cm. Color is variable: greenish-brown in freshwater forms and from silver-green to bluish-black in marine forms; in young people it is silver. In the spring, during the spawning period, the males' chest and belly become bright red, the back is emerald green, and the eyes are bright blue. The female develops dark stripes on the sides of her body and the silvery-white underside becomes pale yellow.

Habitat and behavioral characteristics: The three-spined stickleback lives equally well in sea and fresh water. Widely distributed off the coast of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It is found off the coast of Murman and in the White Sea, but is not found along the entire coast of Siberia. Common off the coast of Europe from the Black and Mediterranean seas to the Baltic, near the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland; off the coast of America from Hudson Bay to New Jersey. In the Pacific Ocean from the Bering Strait south to Korea and California. In the White Sea, the three-spined stickleback is a true marine pelagic fish. In Kandalaksha Bay, soon after the sea opens, at the end of May, it approaches the shores in huge quantities. In some places, during the mass approach of sticklebacks, the water literally turns black from a continuous mass of fish crowding along the shore. At this time, a small draft seine can catch a ton of fish in half an hour. Throughout June, stickleback literally fills the entire coastline and stays in a narrow ribbon close to the shore. In August, sticklebacks begin to migrate to the sea, with the females leaving first, then the males, and at the beginning of September, the juveniles also disappear. In August, numerous schools of sticklebacks are found throughout the White Sea, even in the most remote places from the coast. They probably winter at a depth of 15-30 m, where layers of water heated over the summer remain for a long time. Sticklebacks are capable of making grinding or chirping sounds.

Nutrition Features: Despite its small size, the ubiquitous stickleback is very bold and voracious. It feeds on small crustaceans, insect larvae, worms, eggs and fry of other fish. There was a case when in 5 hours one stickleback ate 74 ide fry, each about 6 mm long, and two days later swallowed another 62. Eating plankton, it is a competitor of herring.

Reproduction: In mid-June, males appear, nest construction and spawning begin. Although the fertility of stickleback compared to other fish is negligible (from 65 to 550 eggs), thanks to careful care of the offspring, the survival rate of the fry is very high. At the end of July the fry appear; in August they stay in flocks in the thickets of sea trachea, off the coast, and grow quickly. Stickleback spawning occurs off the coast, in desalinated zones and in fresh waters of streams and rivers. During the breeding season, males are very pugnacious and fights between them often end in death: one of the opponents is literally torn apart by sharp thorns. In spring, the male builds a nest at the bottom on a quiet shallows, between the stems aquatic plants, where there is a constant, but not too strong current. He collects scraps of aquatic plants and various plant remains there, fastens them with adhesive threads and attaches them to the stems of plants. From time to time he inspects his structure, as if testing its strength, rubbing his sides against the walls, scraping off the mucus, which serves as “plaster” for finishing the “room.” He also brings stones to load the structure and give it stability. Building a nest sometimes takes only 2-3 hours, but often its construction takes a week or more. The sizes of the nests are very different: sometimes the nest is the size of Walnut, but maybe the size of a small tea cup. Then the male drives the female into the nest. Within a few seconds of being in the nest, the female lays up to 100 eggs. As soon as she lays eggs, the male drives her out, fertilizes the eggs and after a while goes in search of another female to add more eggs to those already laid in the nest. This process is repeated 2-3 times until a sufficient amount of eggs is collected, usually 150-180 eggs. After this, the male vigilantly guards the nest, violently attacks anyone approaching him, repairs it, cleans and aerates the eggs, fanning them with his pectoral fins, creating an influx of fresh water. The development of eggs lasts from 8 days to two weeks, depending on the water temperature. When the fry appear, the male dismantles the roof of the nest, turning it into a kind of cradle. Sometimes he continues to take care of the fry for another month after they hatch, protects them and does not allow them to leave the nest until they grow up. But in the end he ceases to be interested in them and may absent-mindedly eat part of his offspring. The fry stay in schools off the coast in thickets of sea grass until autumn, and then move to deeper places. The lifespan of the three-spined stickleback is 3-4 years; it reaches sexual maturity in the south by the end of the first year of life, and in the White Sea usually at the age of three.

NINE-SPINED STICLELECK- Gasterosteus aculeatus L. Three-spined stickleback; in general there are sticklebacks and thorns everywhere; in Odessa - white stickleback; in Pskov - a top; to Vilensk. lips - crested; Dahl has a knuckle, according to Georgi, a slingshot. In Poland - tsirnik, ratsik, kozka, kolka, kolachka, kat; Finnish - rantakala. Gasterosteus pungitius L. Nine-spined stickleback. Small stickleback; Est. (according to Pallas) - oggalyk. Gasterosteus platygaster Kessl.

In Odessa - green stickleback, grass.

Several species of small fish are known under this name, very remarkable in their own way. appearance, and way of life. All sticklebacks are easily distinguished by their spines in front of the dorsal fin, two spines on the belly that replace ventral fins, a ventral shield formed by the fusion of the pelvic bones, and the absence of true scales.
IN European Russia There are three species of freshwater sticklebacks - three-spined stickleback, nine-spined stickleback and green, or flat-bellied stickleback, perhaps a variety of the latter. The first has a back armed with 3 spines, on the sides of the body there are transverse bone plates (usually 24-30), replacing scales and gradually tapering towards the tail; similar, but oblong plates are also found on the back from the back of the head to the beginning of the caudal fin. However, in Western Europe There are almost bare-sided three-spined sticklebacks (with 3-6 lateral plates). The back of this stickleback is greenish-brown, sometimes blackish, the sides of the body and belly are silvery, the chest and throat are pale reddish, and bright red during spawning. Its size is usually 2 -2 1/2 inches, rarely more.

At first glance, the nine-spined stickleback is distinguished by a large number of small dorsal spines, of which there are almost always 10 or 9, and a naked and more elongated body; its back is brownish-green with more or less wide blackish stripes, its belly is silvery. During spawning, the sides and belly of males become completely black, and the abdominal spines are white.
The size of this stickleback is even smaller than the three-spined stickleback. The flat-bellied stickleback, which is found in the Black Sea, in the lower reaches of the Dnieper and in standing ilmen in the vicinity of Astrakhan, has the same number of dorsal spines as the second species, but its sides are equipped with plates, it itself is thicker, the head is larger and the ventral shield is much wider than those of the other two species.

The latter have almost the same distribution. Both three-spined and nine-spined sticklebacks are found in almost all European countries, not excluding the most northern ones, and according to Pallas, in almost all of Siberia. They are probably lacking only in the Volga basin. (1) In our country they are most numerous in the rivers flowing into the Baltic and White Seas. Sticklebacks are found in huge numbers in the rivers and lakes of St. Petersburg province, in Onega and adjacent lakes, where, according to Kessler’s testimony, they have multiplied to such an extent that they cause terrible harm to fishing, since they eat the eggs of other fish in large numbers. In Lake Onega, apparently, the three-spined stickleback appeared later than the nine-spined stickleback. The location of the three-spined and nine-spined stickleback is exactly the same. They like to be quiet and live in both fresh and brackish water; Their favorite refuge is small rivers, ditches, lakes, ilmens with a silty or silty-sandy bottom and grassy banks.

They sometimes stay in huge schools and are in constant movement, rushing at any fallen object and in some places in the St. Petersburg province they simply do not allow other fish to be caught at all. Sometimes they even multiply to such an extent that they transfer all the fish whose eggs they devour; meanwhile, they themselves, especially the three-spined stickleback, armed with harder, longer and stronger spines, are extremely rarely caught as prey by pikes, perches and other predators, who, even if they decide to hunt these fish out of hunger, are often punished for their greed: the stickleback spreads their sharp dorsal and abdominal spines, usually tightly adjacent to the body, and these needles pierce the mouth of the fish. They also become disheveled in fights among themselves (which happens very often) and in general in moments of danger. From this it is easy to conclude that these small fish, neglected by fishermen, must multiply quite greatly. There is even some reason to assume that all sticklebacks were originally marine or estuarine fish and only gradually spread further and further up the rivers. Despite the fact that the number of eggs is very small, these fish, so well armed, reproduce all the faster because a significant part of the eggs develops in young fish, which is not noticeable in our other freshwater species, except for sculpins and gobies (Gobius).

The fact is that in the stickleback we have the most remarkable example of a real nest, similar to a bird’s, and we encounter the no less interesting phenomenon of the male caring for the testicles laid in this nest. Stickleback nesting has been known for a long time, but only about 30 years ago, Prof. Costa gave us detailed description the spawning of this fish, which he observed in the pools. The following descriptions give us a very detailed picture of the lifestyle of sticklebacks. (2) A few days before spawning, which begins in April or May, sticklebacks take on a brighter color and become very beautiful. Then the males move away from the pot-bellied females, who continue to walk in flocks, and, apparently, somewhat more numerous than the first, each of the males chooses a place for itself in the grass or on the bottom, or first digs a hole for itself in the silt, as three-spines always do or like nine-spines , directly begins to attach blades of grass in the forks of some aquatic plant or to its leaf.

Most often they choose white and yellow water lilies for this purpose. Having dug a hole, the male collects small blades of grass, roots, also filamentous algae (nine-spined stickleback) and other plant substances into his mouth, lines the bottom of the hole with them, fixing them in the silt and gluing them with mucus secreted by the sides of the body, then erects the side walls in the same way, finally , vault After this, he puts his nest in order, gives it a more regular shape, pulls out the excess, widens the front hole (the back hole is always smaller, and sometimes there is none at all), smoothes its edges and at the same time diligently drives away insects and other fish. The finished nest has the shape of a ball or almost a ball and is very beautiful, but in the three-spined stickleback most of it is buried in the mud, and therefore it is invisible; Only sometimes, and then in shallow light water, can one discern small elevations, up to 10 centimeters in diameter; the nests of nine-spined sticklebacks are also very difficult to find, since they are almost indistinguishable from the leaves of the aquatic plant to which they are attached.

Having finished building the nest, the male returns to the flock, selects a female ready for laying, and after some sort of courtship, drives her to the designated place; the female climbs into the front hole, lays several dozen eggs there and after 2-3 minutes exits into the opposite hole. At this time, the male is in noticeable excitement, and as soon as the female finishes her clutch, he, in turn, enters the nest and pours his milk over the eggs. But this nest, however, does not serve only one female: soon the male goes in search of another, third, etc.; The laying continues for several days in a row until the entire nest is filled with eggs. The latter are relatively very large; in a female there are usually up to 100-120 mature eggs at a time, but the entire spawning sometimes lasts more than a month, and in the nine-spined fish even until the end of July. Stickleback eggs are not completely transparent.

But the worries of the diligent male are not limited to this. He remains at the nest, moves away from it only short distances and jealously protects it from all sorts of enemies, either driving them away from this place, or trying to divert the attention of other, more dangerous enemies from it, especially large fish, who are all quite willing to feast on stickleback caviar. Even female sticklebacks themselves destroy their own eggs. Kessler tells how he unsuccessfully tried to drive away one black male nine-spined stickleback: at first the latter ran away from the nest and returned to it again with each movement of the stick, but then he began to rush at the stick, as if snapping at it, like a dog. This protection of the nest continues for 10-14 days, until the hatched fish finally leave it, freed from their huge yolk bladder, depriving them of the opportunity to escape from persecution. But even during the first few days the male diligently watches over the young and does not allow them to swim far from the nest. Moreover, during the development of the embryos, the caring father, in order to prevent the eggs from clogging, deliberately agitates the water and vigorously moves his pectoral fins in front of the nest opening. This extremely interesting nesting of sticklebacks is easy to observe in a large aquarium with plants and a thick layer of silt on the bottom, where these fish, generally very tenacious, get along very well.

Apparently, they become capable of reproduction the very next year, at least in the second year of life, but it is unlikely that they live only 3 years, as Bloch believes. All sticklebacks are extremely voracious and are among the most harmful fish. In ponds where they penetrate, it is almost impossible to breed any other fish. Even in such huge basins as Lake Onega, according to fishermen, along with the proliferation of these fish, a strong decrease in other species, especially vendace, is noticed. Here the stickleback, which every year spreads in huge numbers in all the bays and rivers, gradually moves into other adjacent lakes and is not noticed only in those that are connected by too fast channels or rivers. If the sticklebacks did not destroy their eggs, then, of course, they would soon kill all the fish.

Due to its size and presence in shallow places or rivers, this fish is rarely caught in nets. However, since the sixties, she also went into business; so, for example, in the Dnieper district. Tauride lips. it is used for fertilizer; on the island of Kizhe (Olonets province), as they say, one peasant began 20 years ago to use it for livestock feed, after grinding it into powder; (3) in Western Europe it has long served as an excellent food for poultry. in the vicinity of Riga, according to Pastor Bütner, about 30 years ago one merchant even set up a factory for boiling stickleback fat, and the result was so brilliant that in the first year he was delivered 200,000 barrels of sticklebacks at a price of 40 k. each. One cannot help but wish for a similar successful use of this not only useless, but also extremely harmful fish in other areas of Russia. It remains to be noted that although no one, with the exception of children, is engaged in catching sticklebacks, it is difficult to imagine with what greed they grab not only the bait, but even a bare hook and a piece of thread. In past years, on the St. Petersburg side, I caught a huge number of these fish simply with a piece of a worm tied to a thread, or even with a small bare hook, which they took for a worm.

Stickleback is a very small freshwater fish that belongs to the species of ray-finned fish, the order of sticklebacks. Moreover, under the name “stickleback” are hidden several species of fish, united by one common feature, thanks to which this fish received its name at one time.

The three-spined stickleback has a feature that makes it stand out from other fish: three spines, which are located in front of the fin on its back. About interesting facts The life and behavior of this fish and its habitat will be discussed in this material.

Description of three-spined stickleback

Appearance

The three-spined stickleback is a very small fish. Its body reaches a length of only about ten to twelve centimeters, and its weight is about four, although larger individuals are occasionally found.

The body of the three-spined stickleback is usually slender and elongated, and also laterally compressed. The body is protected from enemies. Representatives of this species look like this: next to the dorsal fin they have spines (the three-spined stickleback has three), and on the abdomen there are a pair of spines that replace the fins of the stickleback. Also fused pelvic bones At one time, a kind of shield was formed on the fish’s abdomen.

In addition, one more interesting feature The difference between these fish is that they lack scales - they are replaced by several dozen transverse plates (usually from 20 to 40).

The same plates are found in the back area, which has a greenish-brown color. But the abdomen of the three-spine thorn has a silver color, while the chest is red (during the breeding season, the pale red color changes to bright red, and the back color changes to bright green).

Lifestyle The three-spined stickleback prefers water bodies with slow flow

, and can live in both fresh and slightly brackish water. Thus, these fish choose small rivers and lakes as habitats, rich in holes, ditches with banks overgrown with reeds and grass and a muddy bottom.

Sticklebacks prefer to stay in large schools. At the same time, they are in constant motion and actively rush to any object that has fallen into a body of water. Therefore, these fussy, numerous fish often become a nuisance to fishermen while fishing.

Reproduction (spawning)
Sticklebacks reproduce very actively, but they do not have very many eggs - sticklebacks lay about 100 eggs at a time. During spawning, three-spined sticklebacks build nests: females lay eggs there, which are then cared for by males.

On the eve of spawning, female sticklebacks acquire a brighter color.

After the nest is built, the male looks for a female, who lays eggs in the nest, and the male then pours milk over the eggs. At the same time, the male can thus “invite” several females, each of which lays several dozen fairly large eggs.

Spawning time can last over a month, and only the male takes care of the hatched fish: he protects the nest and drives away predatory fish from it. When young fish emerge from the eggs (small sticklebacks have an almost transparent body), the male accompanies them until they become larger fish, preventing them from swimming far. Unfortunately, due to the presence in the reservoir large quantity predators, only 20-30 percent of sticklebacks survive to adulthood.

Enemies of stickleback

Due to the presence of thorns and needles in the belly area of ​​the three-horned stickleback, it can defend itself from enemies. The main enemies of this small fish are predators, such as pike or pike perch. If a predatory fish tries to catch a stickleback, the latter spreads its thorns and thorns, and they stick into the hunter’s mouth.
Also, sometimes birds, such as seagulls, try to eat sticklebacks.

Distribution of this fish

Three-spined stickleback is common in water bodies of almost all European countries: rivers, freshwater lakes. It also occurs in northern latitudes, in North America.

In Russia, three-spined stickleback can be found in Siberia and Far East, in particular in Kamchatka. Very rarely this fish can be found in rivers in the European part of Russia, although fishermen periodically find three-spined stickleback, for example, in Lake Onega, and less often in the Volga River delta.

Economic importance of stickleback

Fishermen do not favor these fish because small size and thorns. At the same time, numerous sticklebacks hinder anglers in catching other species of fish, as they muddy the water and fussily swim around the reservoir, rushing as a whole flock to any object that has fallen into the water. In Kamchatka, where stickleback is found not only in fresh water bodies, but also in coastal sea ​​waters not far from the mouth of the river, local residents call this fish “khakalch”, “khakal”, or “khakhalcha”.

Each city is unique with its memorable places. In St. Petersburg, such a place is the monument to the siege stickleback in Krondstadt. During the years of the siege famine, almost all the fish were caught in the canals of Leningrad and in the coastal zone of the Gulf of Finland. And then the only salvation from hunger was the stickleback fish, which was always considered a trash species.

It was she who became the salvation in the hungry Krondstadt, thanks to which people survived. As a result, the three-spined stickleback received another name - blockade stickleback. It is human nature to feel gratitude, and the installation of monuments to completely inconspicuous fish is proof of this. She once saved the inhabitants of several countries from malaria, and monuments were also erected to her.

A little about three-spined stickleback

The body of the stickleback, like that of the stickleback, is covered not by scales, but by bone plates, forming a hard and strong shell around the fish. After all, both species belong to the order Sticklebacks, but to different families. Stickleback is a member of the stickleback family, of which 12 species are known. In the vicinity of St. Petersburg there lives a three-spined stickleback, and it was she who found herself in the role of a “saving angel” during the days of the blockade.

Appearance of three-spined stickleback

Three-spined sticklebacks are found in fresh water bodies and in the sea. The length of the freshwater form is 4-6 centimeters. The body is elongated, but quite high, slightly compressed from the sides. The short caudal peduncle passes into the caudal fin, which is not divided into lobes. The body, instead of scales, is protected by bone plates, and it seems that the fish is encased in a shell. The slightly pointed head has large, expressive eyes.

In the photo of the stickleback, three sharp large spines located in the center of the back are clearly visible. Based on their number, the fish got its name - three-spined. The dorsal fin is located behind the spines. But this is not all the “weapon” of this little fish. Instead of pelvic fins, she also has spines. Raised spikes are a very formidable and serious weapon.

Formidable weapon - thorns

When the stickleback fish is in a calm state, the spines fit tightly to the body.

When there is danger or attack from a predator, the spines rise and spread out in three directions - up from the back and to the sides from the abdomen. In this position, they plunge into the predator's mouth.

In fights between males before spawning, this weapon is also successfully used. It often happens that the winner rips apart his opponent with the help of his spikes.

Coloring and sexual differences

The color of the stickleback is changeable, and it is influenced by several factors: age, physiological state, habitat and season:

• young specimens are silver in color;
• in winter the color is silver-grayish, and in summer it is greenish-brownish with a silvery tint.

Usually males and females do not differ in color. But during the breeding season, the back of the male becomes bluish, the lower part of the head and body turns red.

Females also transform - transverse stripes appear on the sides of the body and on the back dark color, the abdomen acquires a pale yellow color. After spawning is completed, the coloring becomes the same.

Reproduction

The three-spined stickleback is one of the few fish that exhibits a pattern of exemplary paternity. It is the male who builds the nest. And later he also takes upon himself all the care of the developing eggs and hatched fry.

The nest is built on the shallows among aquatic plants, provided that there is a moderate current there. A hole is dug at the bottom: the male picks up sand with his mouth and takes it to the side.

The building material is scraps and remains of plants, which the male fastens with mucus from the sides of his body. The nest is fixed on the stems of underwater plants and is immersed in the mud, so it is invisible. A photo of a male stickleback shows the process of collecting plant debris to build a nest.

When the nest is ready, the male pushes the female into the nest, who stays there for a few seconds and manages to lay her portion of eggs (about 100 eggs). The male immediately kicks her out and hurries to fertilize the eggs. Then he looks for another female and does the same with her. The most agile males can collect eggs from six to seven females (150-180 eggs).

Then it's time for the male to get busy:

• While guarding the nest, he attacks everyone who happens to be nearby.
• Corrects and repairs the nest.
• Provides developing eggs with fresh water - fans them with pectoral fins.

For 10-14 days, while the eggs are developing, the male does not leave the nest. But even then he makes sure that the fry do not swim far away, and, if necessary, returns them to the nest right in his mouth.

The three-spined stickleback does not live long - 3-4 years. It begins to reproduce at the end of the first year of life (in freshwater bodies). Although she is small, she is very voracious - a peculiar small predator. Its food: fry and eggs of other fish (including its own species), worms, crustaceans, insect larvae.

How they caught stickleback during the blockade

Residents of besieged Krondstadt used improvised devices to catch stickleback instead of nets: shirts, bags, baskets, T-shirts, butterfly nets with very small cells.

The stickleback catchers lay down on the wooden rafters under the bridge and lowered their “tools” into the water, placing them at an angle against the current for literally a minute, then immediately pulled them out. During this time, the catch was in the amount of one and a half dozen fish. It took at least 5-6 hours to catch about five kilograms of stickleback this way.

The fish soup and cutlets made from small spiny fish turned out to be tasty and, most importantly, nutritious. This is such a fish - blockade stickleback.

Bronze fish on metal waves

Three bronze fish and metal waves - this is what the monument to the siege stickleback looks like, located above water flow Obvodny Canal next to the Blue Bridge on Kotlin Island in Krondstadt.

From the Encyclopedia of St. Petersburg we learn that the proposal to erect a monument appeared back in 1957. It was only at the beginning of 2004 that the project version was considered at public hearings. Then it was reworked and created in its final version by sculptor N.V. Chepurnov. And in 2005, the monument was erected and opened on May 8.

Four lines from a poem by Maria Aminova, a Krondstadt poetess, are written on the memorial plaque.

In 2012, the monument to the siege stickleback in Krondstadt was inscribed in the “Book of Memory” Great War" According to tradition, every year on January 27 (the day the siege of Leningrad was lifted), the grandchildren and children of the siege survivors bring flowers to the monument. And amateur fishermen have developed their own tradition of visiting “bronze sticklebacks” before fishing. This is a sign that the fish will bite better.

Sticklebacks are fish of the stickleback family, which has 8 species. Distinctive feature– presence of a spine at the beginning of the dorsal fin. They lack a pelvic fin or it is replaced by 1...2 soft rays or 1 spine. All spines are normally pressed to the body and spread out to the sides in case of any danger. Sticklebacks are also characterized by the absence of scales and an abdominal shield, which is formed due to the fusion of the pelvic bones.

Sticklebacks are very voracious, so in reservoirs where they are present, it is almost impossible to breed other fish. They can be caught with any bait; they even grab an empty hook.

Types of sticklebacks

Three-spined stickleback

This type of fish has 3 spines on its back, and on its sides there are 24...30 transverse bone plates (replacing scales), gradually tapering towards the tail. There are similar plates on the back - from the caudal fin to the back of the head.

The back color of the three-spined stickleback is greenish-brown, the belly and sides are silvery. Maximum size fish 5...6 cm. In nature, there are anadromous and freshwater morphs of stickleback. The first ones, after spawning, usually die immediately.

Four-spined stickleback

This species of stickleback does not have lateral bony plates, its skin is completely bare. It lives in salt water in the sea and enters fresh water bodies to spawn. It feeds on planktonic crustaceans.

Nine-spined stickleback

These fish have 9...10 spines on their backs, their body is elongated and completely naked. There are black stripes on the greenish-brown back, and the belly is silver. During the mating season, males become black, while the spines on the belly become white. The nine-spine stickleback is smaller in size than its three-spined relative.

Southern stickleback

Fish of this species are different from their counterparts big amount needles, a relatively thick body with a large head. Most often it grows to 3.5...5.5 cm, some individuals are even 7 cm in length. Structural features: the presence of bone plates on the sides; wide abdominal shield; absence of a keel on the caudal peduncle. In nature, there are several local forms of southern stickleback.

sea ​​stickleback

This species of stickleback has small dorsal spines with 14...16 spines, a slender, fusiform body, a thin caudal peduncle, and short anal and dorsal fins. The tail and back are colored greenish-brown, the sides are golden. Feature spawning period: males acquire a blue body color.

Adult sea sticklebacks reach a size of 17...20 cm. They live without gathering in schools; keep to themselves.

Stream stickleback

This species of stickleback fish has 4...6 spines in front of the fin on its back and grows to a maximum of 6 cm. It is widespread, numerous in water bodies and behaves actively. Before the mating season, males turn bright red.

Stickleback distribution

The distribution range of the southern small stickleback includes the desalinated areas of the Caspian, Azov and Black seas, the lower reaches Seversky Donets and Dnieper. The fish is found in other rivers belonging to the basin of these seas.

Nine- and three-spined sticklebacks are found in almost all reservoirs of European countries. In Russia they can only be found in rivers that flow into the Beloye and Baltic Sea, in the Far East. They exist: in Onega and adjacent lakes; in reservoirs of the Leningrad region.

Stickleback is an inhabitant of coastal marine zones located near rocky shores. This is Europe (from Northern Norway to the Bay of Biscay), the Baltic Sea.

Stickleback spawning

Fish spawning occurs within two months - April-May. Each one can lay 100...120 eggs. They do this inside the nest, which is previously built by the male. He's the same after the spawning process, he drives the female away, and he remains to guard the nest for up to two weeks.

After the appearance of the larvae, the male three-spined stickleback, taking care of the offspring, also stays next to them and does not allow them to swim to the side. He cannot eat them, because at this time his esophagus becomes overgrown, and he cannot eat at all.

Stickleback fishing

Fish of this species nutritional value do not possess them, so catching them is usually a rare activity for adult fishermen. More often than not, children catch them with great pleasure.

Fishing for stickleback is simple and does not require virtually any special knowledge. Stickleback is caught from the bottom using any tackle, using worms, maggots, and fish eggs as bait. Its bite is so active and greedy that sometimes the fish is caught on a bare hook and just a thread dipped into the water.

Fishing for stickleback in winter

Winter fishing for stickleback is also difficult special labor for fishermen. To do this, use ordinary winter fishing rods, jigs of any size, shape and color. You can use bait from worms, maggots, bloodworms, but fish will also bite on a bare hook. They catch her from the bottom.

Stickleback recipes

Due to their small size, fish are not very popular among chefs, as they require a lot of time just to clean them. Although its fat is often used in cooking. It is also used in medicine, for example, in the treatment of burns and wounds.

Stickleback, simply washed well, can be used when preparing fish soup, as “ballast” fish for fat. This is facilitated by its fat, which is abundant in fish.

You can fry stickleback. True, you will have to work hard until you clean enough fish. It is prepared by rolling it in flour, breadcrumbs, vegetable oil like an ordinary fish.

Especially for- V.A.N.

Every fisherman prefers to catch aquatic inhabitants that suit him taste qualities or for sport's sake.

The stickleback fish practically does not fit into this framework, because due to its small size it cannot be called a trophy fish. But this disadvantage is compensated by its unusual appearance.

This fish belongs to the stickleback family, which has its own subspecies. The name of this fish comes from the presence of bone spines on the body (the beginning of the dorsal fin).

Unlike most, it has no front fins, but instead they have pelvic spines. She also does not have the usual scales - during the process of evolution, they were transformed into transverse bone plates.

Despite its small size, the stickleback is very voracious and is considered half predatory fish. Almost no one hunts it in reservoirs, because in times of danger its numerous spines open.

Even dangerous predators pike and pike perch avoid it.

Types of stickleback:

• Three-spined stickleback.
• Four-spined stickleback.
• Nine-spined stickleback.
• Southern small stickleback.
• Sea stickleback.
• River stickleback.

Appearance

Three-spined stickleback

The body of the stickleback is slightly compressed laterally, the dorsal and anal fins are located closer to the caudal fin. There are 3-4 spines on the back (in front of the fin) different lengths. Each pelvic fin has one sharp spine.

There are no scales on the body, but there are rows of side plates. The upper part of the head and dorsal part of the body have a bluish tint, and the sides and abdomen are painted silvery-white.

The average life expectancy is 2-3 years, while body weight does not exceed 10 g. Due to the elongated body, an adult specimen has a size of 10 to 15 cm.

Four-spined stickleback

This type of fish has external resemblance and with three-spined stickleback, but is distinguished by the large presence of spiny processes (4-6 pieces). But the main thing that distinguishes it is the complete absence of scaly cover.

The color in the upper part is greenish-brown, and the abdomen is light gray. Stickleback prefers to live in salty waters seas, but is often found in freshwater bodies.

Nine-spined stickleback

On the back of the small fish there are many spiny processes (8-10). The body is elongated, but its peculiarity is the absence of bone plates in the front part, and closer to the tail they are present.

The coloring is quite primitive - top part- brown-yellow, and the belly is light yellow. Unlike the seasons, the color can change dramatically - from dark blue to silver-white. An adult fish reaches 9 cm in length.

Males have many black dots on the abdominal area. The fish lives on average 4-5 years, but there are also long-livers with “impressive” sizes of up to 11-13 cm.

Southern stickleback

It differs from its fellows in having a full body volume and having a large number of small spines on its back. It prefers to live in the salty waters of the seas, but is not particularly large.

The average size of this fish is 4-5 cm, but with its small size its body is completely protected from sea ​​predators the presence of bone plates and spines.

How to catch more fish?

I have been active fishing for quite some time and have found many ways to improve the bite. And here are the most effective:

1. . Attracts fish in cold and warm water with the help of pheromones included in the composition and stimulates her appetite. It’s a pity that Rosprirodnadzor wants to impose a ban on its sale.
2. More sensitive gear. Reviews and instructions for other types of gear can be found on the pages of my website.
3. Lures using pheromones.

You can get the rest of the secrets of successful fishing for free by reading my other materials on the site.

sea ​​stickleback

Adult sticklebacks are quite impressive in size compared to their counterparts (17-20 cm). The special color of the body allows them to hide perfectly on seabed without giving away your presence.

The top of the body is greenish, and the belly is golden - an ideal camouflage option. For individuals, camouflage allows sea smelt to grow to sizes of 3.5-5 cm. A fairly large fish can have up to 16 spines on its back.

River smelt

This is the simplest type of small fish, which does not have any special indicators in weight or number of spines. The weight of an average individual is 6-8 g, length is 8 cm, and there are no more than 5 spines.

During the mating season, males are distinguished by a special color - changing their usual appearance to bright red.

Habitat

Each species of stickleback prefers its own location - for some, the cold waters of the oceans are better, for others, the outskirts of the seas, and for others, the almost calm freshwater currents of small rivers.

Stickleback is divided into 3 species based on habitat:

1. Marine.
2. Freshwater.
3. Checkpoint.

Three-spined and nine-spined smelt prefer to live in the northern basins of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, but they have no less large populations in Europe.

Large populations (industrial scale) are observed near Novaya Zemlya, the Kola Peninsula, the Bering Strait, Japan and Kuril Islands, the shores of Iceland and the Mediterranean Sea.

Marine types of stickleback prefer Kandalaksha Bay White Sea, Black Sea coast, where the water is not very salty.

Due to the abundance of sea food, sticklebacks can grow to significant sizes.

They have more impressive spines, which they use to protect themselves from many predators.

The migratory species of stickleback spends almost its entire life in marine environment, but during spawning it moves to freshwater rivers with low currents.

They prefer to be near the shores, where the bottom of the reservoir meets all the parameters for the attachment of eggs and their sufficient warming.

Features of behavior

Sticklebacks that live in large bodies of water (the sea) prefer to lead a solitary lifestyle, practically not encountering their fellows.

Being semi-predators, they prefer to hide rather than openly hunt, hoping for prey swimming nearby.

In coastal areas of the seas, fish gather in schools only during the mating period, and for the remaining 9-10 months - absolute freedom movement along the seabed.

Freshwater sticklebacks have a completely different type of behavior - they are schooling fish and do not stray far from their range. They prefer to be close coastal zone, where there is a lot of food supply.

Nutritional Features

Small stickleback fish prefer:

• Diatoms.
• Invertebrate animals.
• Insect larvae.
• Worms and shellfish.
• Caviar.
• Young fish.
• Small insects that have fallen to the surface of the water surface.

The entire diet may depend on the abundance of food. During the leanest periods, the fish can also feed on crustaceans.

Reproduction

Fish spawn at a certain period of time and the main factor in this is the water temperature.

If it does not exceed +4 degrees, the females remain in a calm position, but only she exceeded temperature indicator– mass spawning follows.

The behavior of males and females during this period is different. The female must only bear the eggs, and the male has a much more serious task.

10-15 days before the spawning period, the male begins to build a small “nest” at the bottom of the reservoir to attract the attention of females.

By collecting blades of grass and small pebbles along the bottom, a nest is gradually formed, to which females are attracted.

The female is completely unable to lay all the eggs, but 20-50 larvae are a regular occurrence.

Over the course of a week, from 5 to 9 females swim into the male’s guarded nest and lay eggs in a common “cauldron.”

After this time, the females do not take any part in raising and preserving the offspring. All the burden falls on the male - he one by one releases a seed cloud onto the eggs, thereby fertilizing them.

One female can lay eggs in 4-8 nests during the spawning period.

These small fish, during the spawning period, acquire different colors - often males who want to attract as many females as possible.

The abdomen of males can be in color: from light golden to bright red (a purplish tint is not uncommon). Mating games involve circular movements the male around the female and the nest.

How to catch stickleback?

The fish is quite common in many reservoirs and does not have any particular industrial value.

It is not a special goal for sports fishermen, but for those who like to sit near the shore, it is a good catch, because stickleback is a predator and can bite on any gear.

Stickleback can be caught using both feeder and float tackle. The main thing is to have bait - a worm or maggot. IN winter time– she willingly bites on marmy bait and bloodworms.

In some cases, it willingly takes on “light” animals or “small live bait”.

Conclusion

To catch small and nimble fish such as stickleback, you need to know some nuances.

If you follow all the rules, you can catch a sufficient number of voracious fish, but you should take into account its characteristics, especially its spiny appendages.

You can’t pick it up right away (from the water), because you can cause serious injuries to your hands (palms), which will take a long time to heal.

How long has it been since you had a really BIG CATCH?

When last time Have you caught dozens of HUGE pike/carp/bream?

We always want to get results from fishing - to catch not three perch, but ten kilogram pikes - what a catch! Each of us dreams of this, but not everyone can do it.

A good catch can be achieved (and we know this) thanks to good bait.

It can be prepared at home or bought in fishing stores. But stores are expensive, and to prepare bait at home, you need to spend a lot of time, and, to be fair, homemade bait does not always work well.

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Find out more about the bait!