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Stickleback Family- 
              Gasterosteidae 
  Two species of sticklebacks in two genera are known from Wisconsin. 
Members of this family occur in North America, northern and central 
Asia, and Europe. Six species in five genera are found in the United 
States and Canada (Robins et al. 1980). Of these, two species are strictly
coastal saltwater forms, three occupy shallow, inshore areas of marine 
waters and fresh waters, and only one is a strictly freshwater form. 
  The sticklebacks are a family of small, scaleless fishes with well-devel-
oped pelvic spines and isolated dorsal spines. Lateral bony plates are 
often developed. The pelvic girdles are generally large, and the pectoral
fins are fanlike, set high on the sides, and have their bases in a vertical
line. 
  The behavioral patterns of our Wisconsin species, the brook stickle- 
back and the ninespine stickleback, are quite elaborate. Their behavior is
similar to that of the threespine stickleback, whose behavior has been 
studied intensively for many years and is perhaps better understood 
than the behavior of most animals known to man. Pertinent references 
dealing with the biology of sticklebacks are provided by Reisman and 
Cade (1967) and Wootton (1976). 
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