Stickleback ID

Brook Stickleback
Culaea inconstans

Description: Small, scaleless fish (less than 4 inches long) having 5 free spines in front of dorsal fin, a narrow peduncle (area of body just before the tail fin), and a tail fin which has a straight margin. It prefers cool, clear water that contains patches of vegetation. Diet primarily consists of small crustaceans and aquatic insects – including mosquito larvae. During the spring spawning season, males construct a small, round nest made of small pieces of vegetation cemented together with a substance he secretes.

Family: Stickleback
Type: Non-Game Fish
Range: Found in a few, widely scattered streams and ponds located primarily north of the Platte River.

References

The Fishes of Nebraska by Hrabik, et. al (2015)