Rasboras, danios, and barbs
Three-spined stickleback
Gasterosteus aculeatus
Photo: Gilles San Martin · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Key facts
- Temperature4–20 °C
- pH7–8.5
- Minimum tank80 l
- Adult size8 cm
- Difficulty★★★☆☆
- TemperamentSemi-aggressive
- WaterFresh
Full profile
- Family
- Gasterosteidae
- Origin
- Northern Hemisphere (Europe, Asia and the Americas)
- Size
- 8 cm
- Temperature
- 4 – 20°C
- pH
- 7.0 – 8.5
- GH
- 8 – 25 °dGH
- Difficulty
- ★★★☆☆
- Water type
- warm freshwater (tolerates brackish water)
- Swimming level
- medium
- Behavior
- Semi-aggressive (males are very territorial during breeding)
- Minimum number of individuals
- 1 male with 2–3 females
- Minimum aquarium size
- 80 L
- Diet
- carnivore (live food)
- Reproduction
- oviparous; the male builds a nest out of plants and cares for the eggs
Notes: The male in breeding season has a red throat and blue eyes. Its breeding behavior is among the most studied in the animal kingdom. It requires cold water and live food. Protected in some areas of Spain: do not capture it from the wild.
