• Characteristics - olive-brown back with 8 - 9 dark cross bars on sides, belly orange, cheeks bluish-brown and gill cover irridescent golden-green, dorsal fin edged with blue with a row of reddish spots, sides with about a dozen bluish blotches, and fins light orange
• Distribution - common in the upper Mississippi River basin, found in creeks and upper reaches of rivers in northeast Iowa in moderate abundance
• Foods - aquatic insect larvae, small snails and tiny crayfish
• Adult Length - 2 1/2 inches

For more rainbow darter information, see our printable pdf (123K) or Iowa Fish & Fishing.