Greek ninespine stickleback facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Greek ninespine stickleback |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Gasterosteiformes |
| Family: | Gasterosteidae |
| Genus: | Pungitius |
| Species: |
P. hellenicus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Pungitius hellenicus Stephanidis, 1971
|
|
| Script error: The function "autoWithCaption" does not exist. | |
Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".
The Pungitius hellenicus, also known as the Greek ninespine stickleback or ellinopygósteos, is a special type of fish. It belongs to the stickleback family. This small fish lives only in Greece, which means it is endemic there. You can find it in rivers and freshwater springs. Sadly, its home is disappearing, so it is considered critically endangered. This means it is at a very high risk of becoming extinct.
Contents
What Makes This Fish Special?
The Greek ninespine stickleback has a few unique features. Its body is somewhat flat from side to side. Its head looks like a cone, and the area between its eyes is flat.
- It does not have a keel (a ridge) on its tail fin base.
- It has fewer than seven spines on its back (usually 2 to 6).
- It often has no or very small pelvic fins.
- It does not have large bony plates on its sides.
This fish has a small mouth that points slightly upwards. It has many tiny, sharp teeth only in its upper and lower jaws. Its gills are connected to each other and are free from its throat area. It has 7 to 10 gill rakers, which help it filter food. Its pectoral fins usually have 10 soft rays. The spines on its back are separate and can lie flat in a shallow groove. The first spine is the shortest, and the last one is the longest. Its dorsal fin has 8 to 11 soft rays. The anal fin has one spine and 6 to 10 soft rays. The tail fin is rounded and has 12 soft rays.
The fish usually has 29 or 30 vertebrae. Its lateral line, which helps it sense vibrations, is hard to see. It has 28 to 38 small, round scales along its side. The longest Greek ninespine stickleback ever found was about 50 mm long. Its body is pale olive, with dark bars or blotches on its sides. This helps it blend in with its surroundings.
Where Does This Fish Live?
This fish lives in only three places in the Spercheios valley in central Greece.
- The Aghia Paraskevi Spring, which is about 5 km east of Lamia. It also lives in the drainage channels nearby.
- A large system of connected drainage and irrigation channels and natural wells near the village of Moschochori.
- A few natural wells near the village of Kompotades.
The fish is common in some channels near Lykochoria. But in other parts of its range, it is only moderately common or rare.
How This Fish Lives (Ecology)
The Greek ninespine stickleback prefers cool springs or slow-moving waters. The water temperature rarely goes above 20 °C in summer. These areas usually have lots of plants. The fish stays hidden among the aquatic plants most of the day. It uses its camouflage to blend in and is rarely seen in open water.
In most areas, this fish lives alongside other fish species. These include Pelasgus marathonicus, Alburnoides bipunctatus, Gambusia holbrooki, and Gasterosteus aculeatus. Sometimes, other fish like Squalius and Barbus sp. visit areas connected to the Sperchios river.
The Greek ninespine stickleback does not seem to struggle for food with other species. Scientists have checked the stomach contents of other fish and found no evidence of them eating P. hellenicus. However, sometimes these sticklebacks do eat their own kind. Their diet mainly includes small creatures like amphipods, isopods, tiny snails, worms, insects and their larvae, and fish larvae. They also eat eggs from invertebrates and prey found on the bottom or among plants. The oldest recorded age for this fish is 18 months.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
Greek ninespine sticklebacks usually reproduce in May and June. They only have one breeding period in their lifetime. During this time, the male fish changes color to attract a mate. He builds a nest using plant material. The female then lays her eggs in this nest. The male takes care of the eggs until they hatch.
Baby sticklebacks hatch at about 5.5 mm long. They already look like tiny versions of their family. They have clear color patterns and also hide among plants. They grow into their adult shape when they are about 10–11 mm long.
Threats to the Greek Ninespine Stickleback
The original place where this species was first found, a spring in Kompotades village, has been destroyed. However, small groups of these fish still live in nearby wells. The population in Aghia Paraskevi Spring is doing well. But removing water and summer droughts can shrink the spring areas. Luckily, the fish also lives in nearby channels, which helps prevent extinction.
The population in the channels and wells near Moschohori is relatively safe. Even though some wells are filled in for farming, and channels are sometimes cleaned, the overall system is stable. This fish seems to be good at living in small, changing water systems. It has a short life cycle, small body size, and many offspring. This helps it survive and spread to new areas when conditions are right.
The Aghia Paraskevi Spring and the Greek ninespine stickleback are protected by Greek law.
 | John T. Biggers |
 | Thomas Blackshear |
 | Mark Bradford |
 | Beverly Buchanan |
