-=»w 



pASDALE, pRASMERE. 



Order I. 

 A CANTHOPTERYGII. 



Family 

 GA STEROSTEW.E. 



Hit 



'hree-spined Stickleback. 



BARNSTICKLE. SHARPLIN. PRICKLEFISH. 



fGasterosteics aculeatus.J 



Gastcrostcus acnla's in dorso tribus, 

 Gasterostcus aculealus, 



Gasierosteus irachurus, 



Artedi, Spec, p. 96. 



Lin., Sys., p. 489; Bloch, pi. 53, fig. 3; Donovan, Brit. 



Fish. i. pi. 11; GiJNTHER, Cat. i. p. 2 ; Colxh's Fish. 



Brit. Isles, i. p. 167. 

 Yarrell, i. p. 90. 



Characters 0/ the Genus Gasterosteus.— "Form of body elongated; eyes lateral; cleft of mouth extending on the 

 sides of the muzzle, oblique; villiform teeth in both the jaws and on the pharyngo-branchials, none on the palate or 

 the tongue. Three branchiostegals. Opercular bones not armed; infraorbital arch articulated with prasoperculum; 

 parts of the skeleton forming external mails. Scales none, or in the form of scaly plates along the side. Isolated 

 spines before the dorsal fin; ventral fins abdominal, but pubic bones attached to the humeral arch; ventral with one 

 strong spine, and generally with another single short ray. Swim bladder simple, oblong; casca pylorica in small 

 number." — Gunther. 



THE generic name of Gastrcostcus, ixom gastcr, "the belly," and osteon, "a bone," has reference 

 to the strong spiny ventral fin with which the fishes of this family are armed. Though 



