[2][3] It is called ugidatli ("wearing a feather")[3][4] or junghitla ("wearing a red feather")[5] by the Cherokee, referring to the fish's uniquely large dorsal fin,[4] and is also sometimes referred to as the "salmon of the South".

[5][7] The fish was once an important food source to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians before it nearly disappeared in the 1970s and 1980s.

[3] A number of groups and agencies are attempting to preserve the fish, including the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, Duke Energy, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S.

[7][9] The sicklefin redhorse can reach up to 25 in (640 mm) long,[10] and weigh up to 7 lb (3.2 kg).

[8] It features a large and sickle-shaped dorsal fin on its back, which is generally olive-colored but sometimes partly red.