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Vol. 21 (2018 year), No. 2, DOI: 10.21443/1560-9278-2018-21-2
The biological characteristics and intraspecific variability of threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus аculeatus, from the estuary of the River Tuloma and lakes Venzin and Kulonga on the Kola Peninsula have been studied. Four morphotypes of threespine stickleback (trachurus with a keel, semiarmatus with а keel, leiurus with а keel, leiurus without keel) have been discovered. There are differences in the number of plates on the body of the stickleback, of plastic traits in different habitats, namely length and body height, the length of the first dorsal, middle dorsal and ventral spines. In the lakes there are morphs with a small number of plates, namely leiurus (3–6), and semiarmatus (13–16). In the estuary of the River Tuloma, the morphotype of trachurus with keel (22–26) is mostly found. The size and weight parameters of stickleback are also different in the investigated water bodies. On average, the length of freshwater stickleback is 53 mm, and the weight is 1.3 g, seawater stickleback, respectively, 72 mm and 4.4 g. These differences point to the adaptation to living in different conditions. In fresh reservoirs, the bone carapace is relieved by reducing the number of plates, while in water with a lower salinity, it is more difficult to extract the calcium needed to build bone plates, than in water with increased salinity. In the estuary of the River Tuloma during the tides there is an increase in salinity from 1 to 22 ‰, therefore, to extract calcium for building these scutes is more easily. Also, many-plate individuals after grasping by predators experience less damage than low-plate, and consequently the chances of escaping from the teeth of a predator increase. The dependence of the size-weight characteristics approximated by the power function equation of the form W = aLb has been determined. The coefficient b > 3 indicates the preservation of the shape of the body as the stickleback grows, and suggests that the rate of increment of mass is similar in the studied reservoirs.
(in English, стр.8, fig. 3, tables. 4, ref 19, adobe PDF, adobe PDF 0 Kb)
Vol. 23 (2020 year), No. 2, DOI: 10.21443/1560-9278-2020-23-2
Garmash M. V. , Zhuravleva N. G.
Some information on biology of three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus Linnaeus, 1758 in the Barents Sea coastal region (East Murman)
Three-spined stickleback is one of the widespread fish species of East Murman. It is found in 13 catchment areas of the Barents Sea coast in the eastern part of the Murmansk region, including major rivers, shallow river basins and inter-basin spaces. Stickleback is found in such lakes as Enozero, Pervoe Titovskoe, Opasovskoe, Dolgoe, etc, and in the rivers Yokanga, Varzina, Kharlovka, Voronia, Teriberka, etc. There is no detailed biological description of stickleback in this area, and the information available only mentions its presence in water bodies and occurrence in the stomachs of predators. The present paper provides data on three-spined stickleback caught in the coastal region of the Barents Sea at a depth of 120–123 m. The marine form of stickleback spends entire life cycle in the sea. In the Barents Sea, stickleback has a pelagic way of life, going quite far from the shore. According to the published data, its habitat depth in the Barents Sea is 50–450 m, with an average of 270 m, where temperature varies from 0 to 4 °C, with salinity 33–35 ‰. It has been found out that stickleback is represented by two morphotypes – trachurus with a keel (98 %) and semiarmatus (2 %) with a keel. The study has revealed different number of lateral plates and the nature of their distribution on the body of stickleback. In the study area, individuals of different size groups could be found. On average their body length ranges from 51 to 60 mm with a maximum length of 81 mm; the weight changes from 0.79 to 1.39 g. The authors have observed positive allometry of the dependence of mass on body length. Proportion of empty stomachs is almost 100 % with the fat content 1–2 points. The gonads of males and females caught in August 2015 were in after spawning condition. Females comprise the majority of the population (65 %). Infestation of stickleback with helminths is insignificant. Larvae of Anisakis simplex nematode have been observed most frequently during the examination of internal organs and body cavity.
(in Russian, стр.6, fig. 3, tables. 1, ref 15, AdobePDF, AdobePDF 0 Kb)