Brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans) fish species and information / pictures of Brook stickleback - Culaea inconstans

Brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans) fish species information

Scientific Name
Culaea inconstans

Common Name
Brook stickleback

Biology
Diagnosed from other species of Gasterosteidae in Europe by combination of the following characters: 4-6 short dorsal spines, never inclined to the left or to the right; without keel on side of caudal peduncle; anal fin origin slightly behind dorsal fin origin; body dark olive green (getting blackish in breeding males), with numerous pale spots or undulating bars on flank (Ref. 59043).

Classification

Classified By

Kirtland, 1840

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Sticklebacks and Seamoths (Gasterosteiformes)

Family

Sticklebacks and tubesnouts (Gasterosteidae)

Distribution

Region

North America

Distribution

North America: Nova Scotia to Northwest Territories and eastern British Columbia in Canada; Great Lakes-Mississippi River basins south to southern Ohio and Nebraska in USA and west to Montana, USA. Isolated population in Canadian River system in northeastern New Mexico, USA. Introduced elsewhere (Ref. 5723). Introduced in upper Inn drainage in Bavaria, Germany and accidentally in the 1960?s with Micropterus to southern Finland where it has established a population in Lake Lohjanjarvi (Ref. 59043).

Range

69°N - 34°N

Environment

Climate

Temperate

Water Temperature From

4 °C

Water Temperature To

18 °C

Depth From - meters

0 m

Depth To - meters

55 m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Freshwater; ; pH range: 7.0 - ? ; dH range: ? - 15 demersal; depth range 0 - 55 m (Ref. 1998)

Trophic Level

3.12 s.e. 0.40 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

False

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

True

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

8.7 cm

Common Length

5.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 1.0000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Aquarium: commercial; bait: occasionally

Vulnerability

Low vulnerability (15 of 100)

Resilience

High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (tmax=2)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Least Concern (LC)