# Three-spined stickleback (*Gasterosteus aculeatus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/three-spined-stickleback  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is a bony fish in the family Gasterosteidae. It belongs to the genus Gasterosteus, the suborder Gasterosteoidei and the order Perciformes, within the class Teleostei. The species was named by Linnaeus, 1758, and other English names for it include Spawn, Cushy, Doctor, Spanny and Sparny. On the IUCN Red List it is assessed globally as Least Concern (LC), which is not an IUCN threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | coastal |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Teleostei
- order: Perciformes
- family: Gasterosteidae
- genus: Gasterosteus
- species: *Gasterosteus aculeatus* Linnaeus, 1758

Synonyms: *Gasteracanthus cataphractus*, *Gasterosrosteus williamsoni japonicus*, *Gasterosteus aculcatus*, *Gasterosteus aculeatus aculeatus*, *Gasterosteus aculeatus algeriensis*, *Gasterosteus aculeatus gymnurus*, *Gasterosteus aculeatus leiurus*, *Gasterosteus aculeatus messinicus*, *Gasterosteus aculeatus santaannae*, *Gasterosteus aculeatus santaeannae*, *Gasterosteus aculeatus trachurus*, *Gasterosteus aculeatus var. messinicus*, *Gasterosteus aculeatus williamsoni*, *Gasterosteus algeriensis*, *Gasterosteus argentatissimus*, *Gasterosteus argyropomus*, *Gasterosteus atkinsi*, *Gasterosteus atkinsii*, *Gasterosteus bailloni*, *Gasterosteus biaculeatus*, *Gasterosteus biaculeatus*, *Gasterosteus biaculeatus*, *Gasterosteus biarmatus*, *Gasterosteus bispinosus*, *Gasterosteus brachycentrus*, *Gasterosteus cataphractus*, *Gasterosteus cuvieri*, *Gasterosteus dekayi*, *Gasterosteus dimidiatus*, *Gasterosteus elegans*, *Gasterosteus gymnurus*, *Gasterosteus hologymnus*, *Gasterosteus inopinatus*, *Gasterosteus insculptus*, *Gasterosteus intermedius*, *Gasterosteus leiurus*, *Gasterosteus loricatus*, *Gasterosteus nemausensis*, *Gasterosteus neoboracensis*, *Gasterosteus neustrianus*, *Gasterosteus niger*, *Gasterosteus noveboracensis*, *Gasterosteus obolarius*, *Gasterosteus plebeius*, *Gasterosteus ponticus*, *Gasterosteus pugetti*, *Gasterosteus quadrispinosa*, *Gasterosteus quadrispinosus*, *Gasterosteus santaeannae*, *Gasterosteus semiarmatus*, *Gasterosteus semiloricatus*, *Gasterosteus serratus*, *Gasterosteus spinulosus*, *Gasterosteus suppositus*, *Gasterosteus teraculeatus*, *Gasterosteus tetracanthus*, *Gasterosteus texanus*, *Gasterosteus trachurus*, *Gasterosteus williamsoni*, *Gasterosteus williamsoni japonicus*, *Gastrosteus aculeatus*, *Gastrosteus hologymnus*, *Gastrosteus santaeannae*, *Gastrosteus williamsoni*, *Gastrosteus williamsoni japonicus*, *Gladiunculus bispinosus*, *Leiurus aculeatus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the three-spined stickleback?

The three-spined stickleback is a bony fish. It belongs to the family Gasterosteidae in the order Perciformes.

### What is the scientific name of the three-spined stickleback?

Its scientific name is Gasterosteus aculeatus, placing it in the genus Gasterosteus.

### Who named the three-spined stickleback?

The species Gasterosteus aculeatus was named by Linnaeus, 1758.

### Is the three-spined stickleback endangered?

No. The IUCN Red List assesses it globally as Least Concern (LC), which is not a threatened category.

### What other names does the three-spined stickleback have?

Other English names for the three-spined stickleback are Spawn, Cushy, Doctor, Spanny and Sparny.

### What family does the three-spined stickleback belong to?

It belongs to the family Gasterosteidae, within the suborder Gasterosteoidei.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/three-spined-stickleback