It is endemic to the eastern United States, where it occurs in the Tallapoosa River drainage above the Fall Line in Alabama and Georgia.

[2] The lipstick darter is a small fish with a laterally compressed body and it attains a maximum standard length of around 6 centimetres (2.4 in).

[3] The lipstick darter is found throughout the Tallapoosa River system above the Fall Line in Alabama and Georgia in the southeastern United Statates.

[4] Lipstick darters are found in riffles which have fast currents in larger streams and rivers, here they frequently hunt among and around gravel and cobble on the riverbed.

Where flows are moderate or slow they are most commonly recorded in shallow riffles at depths of 12–36 centimetres (4.7–14.2 in) deep (5–14 in), where there is a faster current and cover is provided by submerged vegetation, pebbles or rock overhangs.