Three dark saddles along its back connect a wide, black stripe along its side extending from its snout to the base of its tail.

Ideally, it inhabits fresh waters with continuous, year-round flow and moderate gradient in both the Piedmont and Coastal Plain physiographic regions.

Optimal substrate for the Carolina madtom is predominantly silt-free, stable, gravel and cobble bottom habitat, and it must have cover for nest sites, including under rocks, bark, relic mussel shells, and even cans and bottles.

It tends to occupy the relatively larger streams that flow into the Tar and Neuse rivers, which further limits its range and abundance.

[6] Dams and perched or undersized culverts limit the madtom's ability to distribute throughout streams to find good quality habitat.

[6] The flathead catfish is an invasive top predator in the Neuse and Tar River basins, upon which no other creatures prey.

Hydrilla is an invasive, submerged aquatic plant that forms nearly impenetrable mats of stems and leaves at the surface of the water.