Vertebrate Zoology - V. M. Konstantinov 2011

Chordates
Gnathostomes
Class Osteichthyes - Subclass Actinopterygii - Superorder Teleostei - Order Gasterosteiformes

The stickleback family (Gasterosteidae) comprises small Fishes ranging from 3.5 to 30 cm in length, characterized by the anterior portion of the dorsal fin modified into sharp spines and the pelvic fins transformed into sharp spines as well. Their scales form bony plates. They inhabit fresh and brackish waters of the Northern Hemisphere. They are notable for their breeding behavior: the male builds a nest out of plant material, where the female spawns about 100 eggs. Several species of sticklebacks are found in Russia, distributed across the Baltic, Barents, Black, Azov, and Caspian seas, as well as in certain rivers.

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Fig. 42. Teleost fishes:

1 — smelt; 2 — pike-perch; 3 — trunkfish; 4 — pufferfish (order Tetraodontiformes); 5 — flounder; 6 — seahorse; 7 — anglerfish (order Lophiiformes)

The pipefish family (Syngnathidae) is a highly distinctive group of small marine fishes. Their gills are reduced to small tufts attached to rudimentary gill arches. The body is encased in annular bony plates. The HEAD features a long, tubular snout and a small, toothless Mouth. Males possess specialized brood pouches on their bellies where they incubate fertilized eggs. They are distributed primarily in warm and tropical seas, and are represented by seahorses (Hippocampus) and pipefishes (Syngnathus). In Russia, they occur in the Black, Caspian, Baltic, and Japanese seas (Fig. 42).