Apeltes quadracus

Apeltes quadracus
Fouspine Stickleback – Apeltes quadracus
Photo Credit: David Neely
FamilyScientific NameAuthorYearCommon Name
GasterosteidaeApeltes quadracus(Mitchill)1815Fourspine Stickleback

Apeltes quadracus

Unique Characters: Scaleless body with four dorsal spines angled alternately left to right. Long slender caudal peduncle. No bony plates on sides. Pelvic fins below pectoral fins.

Similar Species: Threespine Stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus. Although not yet recorded from North Carolina, it has been documented in Chesapeake Bay. It has three dorsal spines and a short caudal peduncle. Bony plates on sides. Pelvic fins behind pectoral fins.

Gasterosteus aculeatus
Threespine Stickleback – Gasterosteus aculeatus – Seattle WA

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