Brook Stickleback
(Culaea inconstans)

Length: 1.5-2.5 inches [3.8-6.4 cm]
Weight: 0.035-0.14 ounces [1-4 grams]
Coloring: Olive green on back and sides with white spots or lines; lower head and belly light green to whitish
Common Names: pinfish, variable stickleback, fivespined stickleback, sixspined stickleback, common stickleback
Great Lakes Habitat: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, Lake Huron, Lake Erie

These small, scaleless fishes have isolated dorsal spines that look like a line of four to six sharp, clawlike hooks along their backs - hence the name "stickleback." These spines may serve to protect this fish against its predators.