Fifteen-spined Stickleback
Spinachia spinachia
Habitat: Rocky shores amongst weed, estuaries
Depth: 1-10m
Food: Small crustaceans and worms
Length: Up to 20cm
Lifespan: Up to 2 year
Conservation Status: Not Evaluated (NE)
A long slender fish, the 15-spined stickleback is at home amongst seaweeds in shallow waters. The male stickleback makes a nest by glueing pieces of weed together with sticky thread from his kidneys. He dances to entice a female in to lay eggs – though she dies after doing so. He then looks after the eggs for 5 weeks until they hatch. He dies then too and the larvae look after themselves.