Threespine Stickleback
Gasterosteus aculeatus
Status
Native to Newfoundland and Labrador.
Habitat
The threespine is the most common of all
the sticklebacks in Newfoundland. It can be found in almost all bodies of water
in the Province. It prefers shallow vegetated areas, usually over mud or sand.
Range
Arctic and Atlantic drainages inland as
far as Lake Ontario in Canada.
Food
The stickleback is a voracious predator
and will eat any food that is available to it this includes worms, small drowned
insects, fish eggs, crustaceans, and larvae.
Breeding Biology
Sexual maturity is reached at 1 year of
age. It spawns in fresh water, generally in June or July but breeding will occur
throughout the summer months. Preferred substrate for nest building are shallow
sandy bottoms. The nests are constructed of small sticks and plant debris. The
nest is held together by mucus secretions from the kidney. Males entice the
female into the nest through the use of a zig zag courtship dance. As many as
600 eggs can be layed on one occasion. The eggs are sticky in nature and form as
one large cluster. They hatch in about seven days.
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