Spinachia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spinachia |
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| Sea Stickleback (Spinachia spinachia) | |
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Spinachia
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spinachia
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The Spinachia is a special group of ray-finned fish that only has one type of fish in it. This fish is called the Spinachia spinachia, but you might know it better as the sea stickleback, the fifteen-spined stickleback, or the fifteenspine stickleback.
This unique fish lives in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. It prefers areas near the bottom of the ocean and also places where fresh water mixes with salty ocean water, like estuaries. The sea stickleback is the biggest type of stickleback. It can grow up to 22 centimeters (about 8.7 inches) long! It's not a fish that people usually catch for food.
What Does It Look Like?
The fifteen-spined stickleback has a long, thin body. Its snout, which is like its nose, is also long and slender. It has a long, thin tail section, which is about one-third of its whole body length. Its tail fin looks like a fan and is rounded.
At the front of its back, this fish has a row of 14 to 15 small, sharp spines. These spines are spread out. The fin at the back of its body and the fin on its belly are about the same size and shape. They are located just before the tail section. Its bottom fins also have spines.
The sea stickleback is usually brownish-yellow with some faint dark marks. Its belly is silvery. While it can grow up to 22 centimeters, most of these fish are between 8 and 15 centimeters long.
Where Does It Live?
The fifteen-spined stickleback lives in the waters along the coast of the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. You can often find it hiding among seaweeds like bladderwrack and long, green eel grass. These plants help it stay hidden from other animals.
Life and Reproduction
The fifteen-spined stickleback is a fish that likes to be alone. It's a hunter that waits quietly among plants in the water. When small creatures like tiny plankton or baby fish swim too close, the stickleback quickly darts out to catch them.
Breeding time for these fish is usually in May and June. During this time, the male stickleback builds a nest. He uses bits of seaweed to create a safe home for the eggs. After the female lays her eggs, the male takes care of them. He guards the nest and uses his fins to fan the eggs. This fanning helps to keep the eggs healthy until they hatch.
Once the baby fish, called fry, hatch, the male stickleback continues to look after them. He cares for them until they have used up the food stored in their egg yolks. After that, the young fish can find their own food. Scientists believe that adult sea sticklebacks usually die after they have laid and cared for their eggs.
