threespine stickleback

American  

[three-spahyn stik-uhl-bak] / ˈθriˌspaɪn ˈstɪk əlˌbæk /

Also three-spined stickleback

noun

1. a widely distributed stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, occurring in marine, brackish, or fresh waters throughout the northern hemisphere.

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Etymology

Origin of threespine stickleback

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

threespine stickleback

In Big Bear Valley, burros pose the greatest threat to such rare and endangered species as Big Bear checkerbloom flowers, slender-petaled mustard plants, and the unarmored threespine stickleback fish.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2023

Environmental advocates and the state Supreme Court had also raised concerns about potential harm to the unarmored threespine stickleback.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2017

Two distinct species of the threespine stickleback dart about in several lakes of British Columbia, where the two fishes could easily mate with each other.

From US News ● Jun. 29, 2010