Lateral plate morph differentiation of freshwater and marine populations of the three‐spined stickleback,Gasterosteus aculeatus, in Poland

Abstract

The distribution of three main lateral plate morphs of the three–spined stickleback,Gasterosteus aculeatus, in the Polish zone of the Baltic Sea and inland waters is surveyed. Most sites are characterized by predominance of the completely plated morph, although it is only in the Vistula River drainage basin where monomorphic complete populations prevail. Polymorphic populations with a high proportion of the non–complete morphs are found in Puck Bay (the Baltic) and in south–west Poland, Possible causes of this pattern are discussed.