: a stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) chiefly of fresh and brackish waters that typically has three dorsal spines
called alsothree-spine stickleback
Illustration of three-spined stickleback
three-spined stickleback
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebThe parasitic cestode Schistocephalus solidus requires a much larger host—specifically, a three-spined stickleback fish—to grow in and then a bird to breed in.—Madhusree Mukerjee, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2022 The three-spined stickleback, a small fish native to the Northern Hemisphere, looks for physical appeal—but it’s not based on shallow aesthetics.—Brian Handwerk, National Geographic, 22 Oct. 2020 And its protagonist is a small, unassuming fish – the three-spined stickleback.—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 5 Apr. 2012 This rich history has turned the three-spined stickleback into a supermodel of evolutionary biology.—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 5 Apr. 2012 If all goes well (for the parasite), a three-spined stickleback then eats the copepod.—Madhusree Mukerjee, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2022 The spring-fed lake, where Spanish explorers camped in 1776, is now home to natives like the three-spined stickleback fish, western pond turtles, freshwater mussels and chorus frogs that sing in the evening.—San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Jan. 2017 See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'three-spined stickleback.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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