The blackside dace is endemic to the Cumberland River drainage in Kentucky and Tennessee as well as the Powell River drainage in Virginia in the United States.
It is a federally listed threatened species.
This fish is 50 to 65 millimetres (2.0 to 2.6 in) in length.
It is olive green in color with black speckling and a black stripe. During the breeding season in April through July the stripe becomes a deeper black, there are red areas on the upper parts, and the fins become yellow.
This fish is found in 105 streams in Kentucky and Tennessee, but many of these populations are very small, with under 10 individuals. The species has been found in western Virginia, but these populations may have been introduced by people or represent undescribed species.
The fish lives in cool, clear streams with rocky substrates and overhanging vegetation. It is schooling and lives under banks and rock formations.
The dace eats algae and sometimes insects. It lives 2–3 years and becomes sexually mature in its first year. The female lays an average of 1540 eggs.
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