Isolated from all other minnows by its three-lobed lower jaw with the middle lobe sticking out like a tongue.

It is listed as "threatened" in the Canadian province of Ontario, but may never have been common there as this is the most northerly of its range.

The distinctive mouth of the cutlips lets it feed on minuscule shellfish which it scrapes from rocks.

An interesting feeding behavior of this species is "eye-picking" when food is scarce or competition is high.

The cutlips is not a popular bait species due to its softened coloration but it takes a hook without much difficulty and is favored in some areas as a choice panfish.