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
Apogonichthyoides pharaonis ridge and saw-like margin. There is a spine which projects from the operculum in line with the central point of the eye. There are three vertical black bars which contrast with the grey-brown ground colour of the body, there is one bar running down from each dorsal fin and the last bar is on the caudal peduncle. There is a characteristic black ‘eye-spot’ surrounded by a yellow ring within the first bar. The first dorsal fin has a dark leading edge while that of the pelvic fins is white. "Apogonichthyoides pharaonis" is native to the western Indian Ocean from the