Ninespine stickleback Ninespine stickleback The ninespine stickleback ("Pungitius pungitius"), also called the ten-spined stickleback, is a freshwater species of fish in the family Gasterosteidae that inhabits temperate waters. It is widely but locally distributed throughout Eurasia and North America. Despite its name, the number of spines can vary from 8 to 12. The body of the ninespine stickleback tapers to a very narrow caudal peduncle and the caudal fin is fan-shaped. The body is less deep and more elongated than that of the three-spined stickleback with a thinner and longer caudal peduncle, but the best way of distinguishing these two species is
Caudal cell mass dysraphisms. These types of abnormalities arise from specific structures formed in the caudal mass, for example if proper differentiation of the caudal mass doesn't occur, it could result in a type of spinal dysraphism. One example of spinal dysraphism is caudal regression syndrome. Patients suffering from caudal regression syndrome can experience a varying degree of the abnormality ranging from partial lack of the tail bone and pelvis to more significant cases where there may be paralysis and, as a result, inhibited function in the bowel and bladder. This abnormality can be caused by the caudal cell mass not developing properly