The saffron darter (Etheostoma flavum) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches.

It is endemic to the eastern United States, where it is found in streams and creeks in Kentucky and Tennessee.

Lastly, the mid-lateral stripe pigmentation in the saffron darter is nearly as dark as the 7–9 black lateral blotches.

[2] The saffron darter inhabits rocky pools and adjacent riffles of headwaters, creeks, and small rivers.

[2] The saffron darter was first formally described in 1989 by David A. Etnier and Reeve Maclaren Bailey (1911-2011) with the type locality given as Kentucky.