Living in the Baltic Sea

Habitat
Shallow waters are preferred with sandy, muddy soft bottoms rich on seaweed. The stickleback normally lives in schools.
Food
Bottom living crustaceans, insects, tadpoles and other invertebrates.

Spawning
Age: 1-2 years old
Season: March - August
Number of eggs: 100-400

In May-June males build a nest of seaweed at the bottom, they turn red in color to attract ready females to lay their eggs in their nest. They are territorial and if the male succeeds, he will then chase away the female. Several different females are welcome to lay their eggs in the same nest, which can add up to 1000 eggs total. The male takes full responsibility for the eggs, ventilates them, removes non-fertilized eggs and guard them frenetically. The eggs hatch within 1-2 weeks and the males continues to guard them for another week, until they get spread out in the vegetation.

Human impact and Status
In the Baltic Sea the Three-Spined Stickleback have been of large economic importance, and was caught in large numbers to extract oil and fish meal. Now it is used as fish tank fish but it is of no other economic value. CLOSE