Western blacknose dace have tan to dark brown backs, lighter sides, and cream colored undersides.

[4] A distinctive dark colored mid-lateral stripe from the tip of the snout to the caudal peduncle is present.

[5] The stripe is dark brown in females and is a rusty pink color in males during spawning season.

[1] Young daces prefer to inhabit shallower, quiet pools with silty bottoms while more mature daces prefer streams with consistently high turbulence patterns and plenty of places to hide since they are a prey species.

[8] Mature daces continue to feed on Dipteran larvae when available but a large portion of their diet also include amphipods.