The fourth New York member of the stickleback family, found only in fresh water, is the brook stickleback, which has five spines. It is widely distributed in Lake Erie and in the Allegheny and Genesee river systems. It occurs along Lake Ontario in central New York, near eastern Lake Ontario, and in tributaries of the St. Lawrence River system. In central New York it extends through Oneida Lake and in the Mohawk system to tributaries of the Hudson River. There are some records from extreme northeast New York.
Male sticklebacks build elaborate, golf ball-sized nests.
Grasses and fibers are cemented together with a secretion from their body. The hollow, fibrous nest has an entrance hole and an exit hole for placement of the eggs inside. The male aggressively guards the nest and eggs against all intruders. Sticklebacks are not important forage fish and, consequently, of little value as bait. They feed on tiny aquatic animals.