Threespine Stickleback
Gasterosteus aculeatus
Also called stickleback
Small fish with three prominent spines on its back and bony plates along its sides. Known for elaborate breeding behavior where males build nests and care for eggs.
Threespine Stickleback at a glance
- Scientific name
- Gasterosteus aculeatus
- Typical size
- 2-4 inches, less than 1 oz
- Water
- Freshwater
- Habitat
- Freshwater
- Rarity in the Fishdex™
- Common
Habitat
Found in shallow freshwater streams, ponds, and lakes with vegetation. Not typically targeted by anglers due to small size, but occasionally caught incidentally by panfish anglers using very small baits.
Catch one and it is yours
Log a threespine stickleback through the Cobia Camera and this entry fills in with your photo, your personal best, and the exact conditions on the day. The app also carries the slot and season rules for wherever you are standing.
How the Fishdex™ worksThreespine Stickleback questions people ask
Threespine Stickleback is Gasterosteus aculeatus. Anglers also call it stickleback.
A typical threespine stickleback runs 2-4 inches, less than 1 oz. Cobia records the length and weight of every threespine stickleback you log and keeps your personal best on its Fishdex entry.
Found in shallow freshwater streams, ponds, and lakes with vegetation. Not typically targeted by anglers due to small size, but occasionally caught incidentally by panfish anglers using very small baits. It is a fresh water species, filed under freshwater in the Fishdex.
Yes. Log one through the Cobia Camera and this entry fills in with your own photo, your personal best, and the conditions on the day you caught it. The app also carries the slot limits and season dates for wherever you are standing. It is free.
Tomorrow morning starts tonight
Set your home water, pick a drive radius, and wake up to a plan.
Android coming soon
iPhone, iOS 17 or later. Setup takes about a minute.