The status and distribution of cave-obligate species is incomplete or lacking entirely, which makes conservation and management decisions difficult.

Originally found in a deep well in Lebanon, Tennessee, the spring cavefish is distributed within the central and southeastern United States.

Some of these sources include nearby agricultural fields, pastures, septic tanks, sewage lagoons, urban runoff, mines, and livestock waste.

[4] Some of the springs fluctuate drastically in flow and turbidity as a result of direct connections with surface drainage or they were enclosed as water supplies or otherwise modified by man.

This makes spring cavefish highly vulnerable to external factors as subterranean aquifers are becoming increasingly tapped for irrigation purposes, and many sites may be at risk from drying out either temporarily or permanently.

[9] The average spring cavefish lives for about three years and typically reaches a length of about 1.8 to 2.6 inches (4.6 to 6.6 cm).

[4] The status and distribution of cave-obligate species is incomplete or lacking entirely, which makes conservation and management decisions difficult.

The IUCN Red List considers the spring cavefish to be of least concern due to its relatively large population size and number of subpopulations.

Missouri has purchased Cape LaCroix Bluffs Conservation Area to provide habitat for the state endangered spring cavefish.

This 63.21-acre area supports natural wetlands, limestone bluffs, and beech mesophytic forests unique to eastern Missouri.