The lateral line system is completely pored with 34–36 scales and is slightly decurved anteriorly.

[2] The dorsal surface of this fish tends to be olive-yellow with a silvery overlay and has dark-edged scales, giving off a checkerboard appearance.

[3] Weed shiners feed during the day, with peaks in activity after sunrise or during mid-afternoon.

[2] Weed shiners spawn from March through September (sometimes early October), in water temperatures between 14 and 29 °C.

[3] The weed shiner occurs in the Mississippi River Basin from Minnesota and Wisconsin down to the Gulf of Mexico.