Extinction of a weakly armoured threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) population in Prator Lake, Alaska

Threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) samples from Prator Lake in southcentral Alaska consist of the relatively rare form of weakly armoured individuals with few lateral plates and no pelvic spines. Prator Lake has been sampled for threespine stickleback since 1983. Exotic northern pike (Esox lucius) were first observed in this lake in 1996. The appearance of pike corresponds with a dramatic decrease in stickleback numbers and apparent local extinction. The stickleback population may have been vulnerable to an exotic predator because Prator Lake lacks native piscivorous fishes, and this population had extreme armour reduction.