Three-spined stickleback

The three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is a small fish found in Northern Hemisphere coastal and freshwater habitats, named for the three prominent spines before its dorsal fin.

Gasterosteus aculeatus: The scientific species name for the three-spined stickleback, a fish in the family Gasterosteidae. This is the species whose common name describes its three prominent dorsal spines.
Stickleback courtship: The mating displays and responses through which sticklebacks recognize and approach potential partners. The male's red breeding coloration and zigzag dance are central signals in this courtship sequence.
Postglacial colonization: The movement of organisms into habitats newly exposed or altered as glaciers retreat. Many freshwater stickleback populations arose as fish colonized lakes after the last glaciation.
Stickleback genome: The complete genetic material of the three-spined stickleback, a widely used vertebrate research species. Genome resources allow researchers to connect population differences with genetic variation.
Paxton Lake sticklebacks: Freshwater stickleback populations in Paxton Lake, British Columbia, including distinct benthic and limnetic forms. Their coexistence illustrates how one lake can support strongly differentiated ecological forms.
Gasterosteidae: A family of small, often armored fishes that includes sticklebacks. The three-spined stickleback belongs to this family of spine-bearing fishes.
Parental care in fish: Behaviors by fish parents that protect or provision eggs or young. After spawning, male sticklebacks fan and guard the eggs in their nests.
Adaptive radiation: The diversification of a lineage into forms adapted to different ecological niches. Stickleback populations diversified as they adapted to distinct marine and freshwater environments.
Evolutionary developmental biology: The study of how changes in development contribute to evolutionary change. Stickleback traits reveal how changes in gene regulation can alter body form.
Bear Paw Lake sticklebacks: A freshwater stickleback population from Bear Paw Lake, Alaska, studied for its reduced body armor. This population helped reveal genetic contributions to armor reduction after freshwater colonization.

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