THE STICKLEBACK FAMILY Gasterosteidae

FOURSPINE STICKLEBACK Apeltes quardracus Mitchill, 1815

DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE: Native. In Massachusetts, fourspine sticklebacks are found in estuaries along the entire coast and are very common in some freshwater streams and ponds in the Cape Cod, Buzzards Bay and Narraganset Bay drainages and on Martha's Vineyard. They are found as far inland as Haverhill on the Merrimack River.

THREESPINE STICKLEBACK Gasterosteus aculeatus Linnaeus, 1758

DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE: In Massachusetts, threespine sticklebacks are found along the entire coast in estuaries, salt marshes and tidal creeks. It is often abundant in coastal waters of low salinity during the spring and summer spawning season. There is one landlocked, inland population present in Massachusetts, that is unique for several reasons. The population, located in Boston's Olmsted Park, has three distinct lateral-plate morphs. In eastern North America, this population represents only the fourth record of low plate individuals and is the southern-most completely freshwater population. Since this population is very susceptible to extinction due to their urban habitat they are currently listed as Threatened by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. It is possible that this population was introduced to the pools since the area was planned to be part of a natural history museum complex and Fredrick Law Olmsted had designated one of the pools to exhibit sticklebacks.

BLACKSPOTTED STICKLEBACK Gasterosteus wheatlandi Putnam, 1867

DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE: Native. The blackspotted stickleback has the smallest range of any of the stickleback species. It is only found from Newfoundland south to New York. In Massachusetts, the blackspotted stickleback is found along our entire coast, with most records coming from the northeast and Cape Cod. Freshwater populations are unknown in Massachusetts, however, we have found them to be abundant in the "almost" freshwaters of Sesacha Pond, Nantucket.