About Spinachia spinachia (Linnaeus, 1758)
Spinachia spinachia, commonly called the fifteen-spined stickleback, is an elongated fish with a long, slender snout. Its elongated caudal peduncle makes up roughly one third of its total body length, and it has a rounded, fan-like caudal fin. The anterior dorsal fin is formed from a row of 14 to 15 small, widely spaced spines. The posterior dorsal fin and anal fin are aligned, similar in size and shape, and sit directly in front of the caudal peduncle. Its pelvic fins are made up of spines. This species has a brownish-yellow body with indistinct dark markings, and a silvery belly. It reaches a maximum total length of 22 centimetres (8.7 inches), while individuals most commonly measure between 8 and 15 centimetres (3 to 6 inches) long. The fifteen-spined stickleback is native to the coastal waters of the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, where it lives among bladderwrack and eel grass.
