Freshwater fishes of Syria: a revised and updated annotated checklist- 2023 Author Saad, Adib 0000-0001-6393-2836 Al Andalus University, Kadmus, Tartus, Syria / Syrian Society for Aquatic Environment Protection, Lattakia, Syria. https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 6393 - 2836 Author Çiçek, Erdoğan Department of Biology, Faculty of Art and Sciences, Nevþehir Hacý BektaþVeli University, Nevþehir, T ¸ rkiye. Author Esmaeili, Hamid Reza 0000-0002-9736-397X Ichthyology and Molecular Systematics Research Laboratory, Zoology Section, Department of Biology, School of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 9736 - 397 X Author Fricke, Ronald 0000-0003-1476-6990 Staatliches Museum f ¸ r Naturkunde in Stuttgart, Rosenstein 1, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany. https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 1476 - 6990 Author Sungur, Sevil 0000-0003-4018-6375 Health Services Vocational School, Nevþehir Hacý BektaþVeli University, Nevþehir, T ¸ rkiye. https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 4018 - 6375 Author Eagderi, Soheil 0000-0001-6393-2836 Al Andalus University, Kadmus, Tartus, Syria / Syrian Society for Aquatic Environment Protection, Lattakia, Syria. https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 6393 - 2836 & Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran. https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 1134 - 0356 * Corresponding author: erdogancicek 50 @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 5334 - 5737 & Al Andalus University, Kadmus, Tartus, Syria / Syrian Society for Aquatic Environment Protection, Lattakia, Syria. https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 6393 - 2836 erdogancicek50@gmail.com text Zootaxa 2023 2023-09-22 5350 1 1 62 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5350.1.1 journal article 270787 10.11646/zootaxa.5350.1.1 503ff6a9-9260-469d-af97-456e103cbfae 1175-5334 23B4C9BF-A1A4-4D27-8C30-E4A23DAD01AB Gasterosteus aculeatus Linnaeus, 1758 [N]—Three-spined stickleback; None Taxonomy. Original description: Gasterosteus aculeatus Linnaeus, 1758: 295 [Europe; syntypes : ZSL 29 (left halfskin), 30-31 (2, right half-skins)].—Syrian synonyms: None.—Revisions: None.—Illustration: Kottelat & Freyhof (2007: 492 , fig.). Status in Syria . First record from Syria by Gruvel (1931) ; confirmed by Beckman (1962: 154) as Gasterosteus argyropomus , Krupp & Coad (1985: 36) ; Krupp & Schneider (1991b) ; Saad (2005) .—Syrian material: CMN. Distribution and habitat. Distribution in Syria : Mediterranean watersheds.—Distribution in River Basin: 6- Coastal.—General distribution: North Pacific; Atlantic; Baltic Sea; North Sea; Mediterranean Sea; Sea of Marmara; Black Sea and adjacent watersheds; Sea of Japan ; widespread in northern Europe, northern Asia and North America.—Distribution in Ecoregion: 436-Coastal Levant.—Habitat: This species is typically found in quiet, weedy pools and backwaters. It is also found in the marginal vegetation of streams and over sand and mud bottom substrates. Marine populations are pelagic and usually found inshore along the coast, in estuaries, and in coastal lagoons. In some lakes, two morphologically and ecologically distinct forms may occur, differing in habitat and morphology (one littoral, the other mainly limnetic). Freshwater, brackish, marine. Economic importance. No commercial importance. Conservation. Conservation status in Syria : Unknown.—IUCN: LC ( IUCN 2023 ).—Threats: COM, EUT.—Low sensitivity to human activities.—Not considered as a keystone species.—Decline status: Unknown.—Low priority for conservation action.