It’s two inches long, scaleless, and can have a few menacing spikes on its spine. The small, yet mighty unarmored threespine stickleback fish is known as a fierce protector of its nest.
Its protection is also part of a deal announced Monday between environmentalists and developers, paving the way for the Newhall Ranch project in the northeast Los Angeles County.
RELATED STORY: ‘Tremendous’ Newhall Ranch deal paves way for $13 billion project after years of battles
Known to the upper Santa Clara River and its tributaries into Los Angeles County, the threespine stickleback prefers slow-moving shallow waters. It was listed as an endangered species by both federal and state officials.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has worked to rescue the populations, especially in recent years, when serious drought conditions and changes in the environment “diminished wetted habitat in the Santa Clara River, putting the source population at risk.”
-Source: Center for Biological Diversity and The California Department of Fish and Wildlife
