[1] Males of the species grow to a length of 5 centimeters, with a golden orange base color with varying patterns of black spots, along with a wide and long dorsal fin.

Females of the species grow to a length of 6 centimeters, with silver gray coloring with black spots.

It has also disappeared from Lake Camécuaro National Park due to introduced largemouth bass.

The habitat of the species is small lakes, river channels, spring-fed ponds and ditches over substrates of silt, mud, sand, and rocks, where it prefers depths of less than a meter in clear to turbid water with little to no currents.

[4][2] Due to a loss in distribution from pollution, habitat modifications, and invasive species, with its only current healthy population in the Duero River drainage facing stream channelization and water diversions in its lower portions, the IUCN Red List has assessed the spotted skiffia as 'Endangered' in 2018.