The fifteen-spined stickleback is a quite characteristic small fish which reaches a maximum size of around 20cm. It inhabits shallow water (down to about 10m generally) and rockpools up to the mid-tide level and has an affinity for seaweedy areas as it often hides in the weed where it is very well camoflaged. About the only other fishes that it can be confused with are pipefishes, especially the snake pipefish which has a similar dark band running through its eye, however a closer look will reveal a very different facial structure and the stickleback can be easily differentiated.