Phylum: Chordata

Superclass: Gnathostomata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Gasterosteiformes

 

Norwegian: stiklingfisker

(Ingdalen - The Trondheim fjord / 6 meters / 12.13.2006)

The sticklebacks are spiny finned fishes with elongated bodies. Between the two dorsal fins there are a number of isolated spines. Spiny scouts are found just beneath the skin along the lateral line.

There are only three sticklebacks in the Norwegian fauna. The fifteen-spined stickleback is one of two that is found in saltwater.