# Lesser prickleback

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{{Short description|Species of fish}}
{{Speciesbox 
| image = Alectridium aurantiacum.jpg
| taxon = Alectridium aurantiacum 
| display_parents = 3
| parent_authority = Gilbert & Burke, 1912
| authority = [Gilbert](/source/Charles_Henry_Gilbert) & [Burke](/source/Charles_Victor_Burke), 1912
| synonyms = * ''Alectrias aurantiacum'' <small>(Gilbert & Burke, 1912)</small>
| synonyms_ref = <ref name = Fishbase/>
}}
The '''lesser prickleback''' ('''''Alectridium aurantiacum''''') is a [species](/source/species) of marine [ray-finned fish](/source/ray-finned_fish) belonging to the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Stichaeidae](/source/Stichaeidae), which includes the pricklebacks and shannies. It is the only species in the [monospecific](/source/monospecific) [genus](/source/genus) '''''Alectridium''''' which is found in the northern Pacific Ocean.<ref name="Fishbase">{{Cite web |last=Froese |first=Rainer |date=2022-02-01 |title=Alectridium aurantiacum summary page |url=https://fishbase.de/summary/3773 |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=FishBase |language=en}}</ref> Sometimes the lesser prickleback has also been called the North Pacific prickleback, because it is mostly found in these waters.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Peden |first=Alex E. |date=1967-01-01 |title=Redescription of a North Pacific Prickleback, Alectridium auranticum |url=http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/10.1139/f67-001 |journal=Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada |language=en |volume=24 |issue=1 |pages=1–8 |doi=10.1139/f67-001 |issn=0015-296X|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
thumb|A dried lesser prickleback ''Alectridium aurantiacum'' caught off Cape Olyutorsky in 2017<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Saveliev |first=P. A. |last2=Savin |first2=A. B. |date=2021-03-01 |title=Records of the Light Dusky Rockfish Sebastes variabilis (Pallas) (Scorpaeniformes: Sebastiidae) and Lesser Prickleback Alectridium aurantiacum (Perciformes: Stichaeidae) in the Western Bering Sea |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S0032945221020168 |journal=Journal of Ichthyology |language=en |volume=61 |issue=2 |pages=314–318 |doi=10.1134/S0032945221020168 |issn=1555-6425|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

== Description ==
Currently, there are very few photos of the lesser prickleback, which makes it challenging to find an accurate and reliable description of the species itself.

Sister species of the lesser prickleback, which are included in the subfamily [Xiphisterinae](/source/Xiphisterinae), are similar in body plan and function to [eel](/source/eel)s. [Pricklebacks](/source/Stichaeidae) are not true eels, as they are not included under the family [Anguilliformes](/source/Eel)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lesser Prickleback (Alectridium aurantiacum) {{!}} Idaho Fish and Game |url=https://idfg.idaho.gov/species/taxa/17349 |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=idfg.idaho.gov}}</ref>—as mentioned above, they are in [Stichaeidae](/source/Stichaeidae)''.''

They share the [anguilliform](/source/Fish_locomotion) body type (defined by being slender and elongated) and pendulous movement while swimming. Because it is in its own genus, the closest relatives of the lesser prickleback are those in their subfamily, which include the [ribbon prickleback](/source/ribbon_prickleback) and [monkeyface prickleback](/source/monkeyface_prickleback).<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Matarese |first=A. |last2=Blood |first2=D. |last3=Busby |first3=M. |date=2013 |title=NOAA Professional Paper 15 Guide to the identification of larval and early juvenile pricklebacks (Perciformes: Zoarcoidei: Stichaeidae) in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea |url=https://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/pp15_0.pdf |journal=NOAA |pages=1–102}}</ref> This subfamily is characterized as being [ray-finned](/source/Actinopterygii);<ref name=":2" /> true to form, the [dorsal fin](/source/dorsal_fin) of the lesser prickleback contains [spiny rays](/source/Ray_(fish_fin_anatomy)).<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Prickleback {{!}} Marine, Eel-like, Pacific {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/animal/prickleback |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>

Their possible range in length remains to be determined, but it has been recorded to be 13.3&nbsp;cm (5.24 inches).<ref name="Fishbase" /> Some of the lesser prickleback's closest relatives, such as the [monkeyface prickleback](/source/monkeyface_prickleback), can range in length up to 30 inches.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Scully |first=C. |date=2021-03-24 |title=Monkeyface prickleback, the new face of aquaculture? {{!}} California Sea Grant |url=https://caseagrant.ucsd.edu/news/monkeyface-prickleback-new-face-aquaculture |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=caseagrant.ucsd.edu |language=en}}</ref>

Similar species that the lesser prickleback may be confused with include the [lesser spiny eel](/source/lesser_spiny_eel) due to their near identical [morphology](/source/Morphology_(biology)), especially in youth. The lesser prickleback also looks like its more popular sister species, the [monkeyface prickleback](/source/monkeyface_prickleback), which is currently undergoing research as a possible source of nutrients in [aquaponics](/source/aquaponics).<ref name=":4" /> 
thumb|Creature B depicts a lesser prickleback in its postflexion life stage (the third larval stage of development).<ref name=":2" />

== History and distribution ==
So far, known populations of this species exist in the [northern Pacific Ocean](/source/northern_Pacific_Ocean), although estimates of the population size are unclear. Between 1997 and 2002, pricklebacks (as a group) made up a very small percentage of [forage fish](/source/forage_fish) catch and [biomass](/source/biomass) estimates across the [Gulf of Alaska](/source/Gulf_of_Alaska), with a peak in population in 2001.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Nelson |first=M. |date=2003 |title=Forage Fish Species in the Gulf of Alaska |url=https://apps-afsc.fisheries.noaa.gov/refm/docs/2003/GOAappendixA.pdf |journal=NOAA |pages=1–14}}</ref>

It has mostly been found in and around the northern Pacific Ocean.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Zicha |first=O. |date=2021 |title=BioLib.cz |url=https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id154677/ |website=BioLib: Biological Library}}</ref> Sources that have confirmed sightings of specimens range from [Russia](/source/Russia)<ref name=":5" /> to the [Commander](/source/Commander_Islands) and [Aleutian Islands](/source/Aleutian_Islands),<ref name="Fishbase" /> as well as [Alaska](/source/Alaska) and the general [Bering Sea](/source/Bering_Sea).<ref name=":2" /> Thus, its distribution range is defined as [polar](/source/polar_regions_of_Earth).<ref name="Fishbase" />
thumb|Sites of capture of ''Sebastes variabilis'' (triangles) and ''Alectridium aurantiacum'' (squares) in the western Bering Sea in 2017–2018; stations: (white circles)—2017, (black circles)—2018.<ref name=":1" />

== Habitat ==
The lesser prickleback solely survives in saltwater habitats,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alectridium aurantiacum – Tag my Fish |url=https://www.tagmyfish.com/species/osteichthyes/teleostei/scorpaeniformes/stichaeidae/alectridium/alectridium-aurantiacum/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=www.tagmyfish.com}}</ref> inhabiting depths to 56 meters.<ref name="Fishbase" /> It's defined as [benthopelagic](/source/benthopelagic), mainly remaining among the [subtidal](/source/subtidal) and lower [intertidal](/source/Intertidal_zone) zones.<ref name="Fishbase" />

Although this species lives in the polar region, it seems to tolerate warmer waters.<ref name=":1" /> Some sources suggest that it is slowly migrating further north as the oceans warm.<ref name=":1" /> In 2017-2018, the lesser prickleback was found in the western Bering Sea near [Cape Olyutorsky](/source/Cape_Olyutorsky)—much farther north than its usual range.<ref name=":1" /> This may mean that its preferred habitat is being affected by global warming.

== Biology ==
As a group, pricklebacks have an elongated, slim, [eel-like](/source/Anguilliformity) body shape with small fins.<ref name=":4" /> The lesser prickleback's tail, or [caudal fin](/source/caudal_fin), is rounded, with no notable fork.<ref name=":2" /> This implies that it may not have to swim very quickly over long distances, instead opting for short bursts.<ref name=":2" />

As a result of its niche in the water column, the lesser prickleback tends to feed upon both [benthic](/source/Benthic_animal) and swimming organisms.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FishBase Glossary |url=https://www.fishbase.se/glossary/glossary.php?q=benthopelagic |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=www.fishbase.se}}</ref> Prickleback fishes in general display a wide range in their diet—between the lesser prickleback and its sister taxa, diets can differ drastically, even when they are found in the same habitats.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Herrera |first=Michelle J. |last2=Heras |first2=Joseph |last3=German |first3=Donovan P. |date=2022-03-01 |title=Comparative transcriptomics reveal tissue level specialization towards diet in prickleback fishes |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00360-021-01426-1 |journal=Journal of Comparative Physiology B |language=en |volume=192 |issue=2 |pages=275–295 |doi=10.1007/s00360-021-01426-1 |issn=1432-136X |pmc=8894155 |pmid=35076747}}</ref>

According to some sources, it can be distinguished from its sister species by the singular [interorbital](/source/Interorbital_scales) sensory head pore in the center of its head.<ref name=":0" /> These can help with sensing their environment and interpreting whether to react to movement nearby.<ref name=":0" /> Another unique feature are the scales on its body, which don't extend past the thirteenth ray of the anal fin.<ref name=":0" />

The lesser prickleback seems to be smaller compared to other prickleback fishes,<ref name=":3" /> which may make it more vulnerable to predators. However, its spiny rays along its [dorsal fin](/source/dorsal_fin) may serve as protection against threats.<ref name=":3" />

== Life cycle ==
As juveniles, lesser pricklebacks are near indistinguishable from the other members of their family. They are commonly mistaken for eels, as their body plan and fins fully fledge later in their life cycle.<ref name=":2" />

The larvae of the [Xiphisterinae](/source/Xiphisterinae) subfamily are unique because they have [pelvic fin](/source/pelvic_fin)s, while the other members of the [Stichaeidae](/source/Stichaeidae) family lack such fins.<ref name=":2" /> Not much information has been collected on the life stages of ''Alectridium aurantiacum'', and the only information, which is about the postflexion life stage, is flagged as uncertain.<ref name=":2" />

There is little to no data on the lesser prickleback's [longevity](/source/longevity) or its age of maturity. Considering that each of its sister species exhibit the life history stages of egg, preflexion, flexion, postflexion (the three larval stages), and juvenile, it may be assumed that the lesser prickleback undergoes similar processes.<ref name=":2" />

== Conservation status ==
Currently, there are not specific prohibitions against fishing and catching lesser pricklebacks. However, there is some interest in considering pricklebacks as a new frontier in seafood.<ref name=":3" />

Because the lesser prickleback is not recorded to have much cultural relevance or economic importance in human society, it can be determined that interactions between lesser pricklebacks and humans are few and far between. Thus, there are likely few limits on fishing. It has been determined an unthreatening and harmless species towards humans.<ref name="Fishbase" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1828037|from2=Q2371133}}

Category:Xiphisterinae
Category:Fish described in 1912
Category:Taxa named by Charles Henry Gilbert

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lesser prickleback](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_prickleback) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_prickleback?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.