Gasterosteoidei

Gasterosteoidei is a group of spiny-rayed fishes that includes sticklebacks and their close relatives. Its classification and boundaries vary among taxonomic systems.

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Stickleback: Sticklebacks are small fishes in the family Gasterosteidae, often recognized by isolated dorsal spines and bony plates. They are the best-known members of Gasterosteoidei.
Gasterosteus: Gasterosteus is a genus of sticklebacks that includes the three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus. Its widespread three-spined species is a canonical gasterosteoid.
Gasterosteiformes: Gasterosteiformes is an order of ray-finned fishes whose membership has varied across taxonomic classifications. It has sometimes served as a broader or alternative rank for related fishes.
Three-spined stickleback: The three-spined stickleback is a widespread fish species, Gasterosteus aculeatus, found in marine and freshwater habitats. Its populations provide a prominent empirical focus for research on the group.
Gasterosteidae: Gasterosteidae is a family of small fishes that includes the stickleback genera Gasterosteus and Pungitius. This family forms the familiar core of the group.
Pungitius: Pungitius is a genus of sticklebacks whose species typically bear multiple dorsal spines. It supplies a distinct stickleback lineage within the group's core family.
Syngnathoidei: Syngnathoidei is a fish grouping that includes pipefishes, seahorses, and their relatives. It is a neighboring syngnathiform lineage, not the stickleback-centered group.
Stickleback evolution: Stickleback evolution examines genetic and morphological change across stickleback populations and species. Repeated adaptation within sticklebacks gives the group unusual evolutionary visibility.
Syngnathiformes: Syngnathiformes is an order of ray-finned fishes that includes seahorses, pipefishes, and related forms. Some classifications place Gasterosteoidei within this broader order.
Aulorhynchidae: Aulorhynchidae is a family of marine fishes that includes the tube-snout, Aulorhynchus flavidus. It is among the close relatives sometimes included in Gasterosteoidei.