Giulia Perez - The three spined stickleback courtship

Name: Giulia Perez
Web: www.giuliaperez.it

Redes sociales: www.instagram.it/pigi_illustration

Country: Italy 

Title: The three spined stickleback courtship
Specie: Gasterosteus aculeatus

Description: The three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is a fish found in the Northern Hemisphere. It can live in fresh or sea water. It prefers slow-flowing water with sandy bottom and rich in vegetation. It can reach lenghts of 8 cm. Males are smaller than females. In front of the dorsal fin are three spines that give the fish its name. Dorsal coloration varies, but tends towards an olive green with dark brown mottling. During the breeding season the male's belly and throat turn red and the eyes turn blue. The female deposits 40-300 eggs in the tunnel-shaped nest builded on the bottom by the male with algae, sand and debris. After the deposition the male chase her away and guards the nest during the eggs development.

Category: Nature illustration

Technique: Digital art
Size: 29,7×42,0 cm
Year: 2022