Its typical habitat is among boulders or coarse rubble and cobble, often with overhanging ledges, in medium to large slow-moving rivers.

Females deposit clutches of adhesive eggs on the underside of rock ledges or slabs, and the male guards the nest.

The wounded darter is a small percid fish characterized by a large caudal peduncle (similar to members of The subgenus Nothonotus), a terminal mouth, lines running the length of its body, a rounded caudal fin, eyes oriented nearly vertically, and olive coloration.

[3] The wounded darter occurs throughout much of the upper Tennessee River drainage, north to far western Virginia.

Unlike many similar darters, E. vulneratum is associated with gentle to moderately flowing water, as opposed to swift currents and riffles.

[5] A study of E. vulneratum in the Little River in eastern Tennessee indicates the wounded darter begins spawning in May when water temperatures reach 16 °C.

Occasionally, as the female deposits her eggs, the male stands guard outside the nesting cavity and returns later to fertilize them.

In one study, one male E. vulneratum guarded a nest for 17 consecutive days, perhaps more a behavior of territoriality than parental care.

[5] The biggest contributing factor to the decline in wounded darter numbers is habitat loss from the creation of impoundments.

[8] Soon after, Knoxville, Tennessee, the nonprofit Conservation Fisheries, Inc. (CFI) began propagating wounded darters for eventual reintroduction.

In addition to wounded darters, the restoration project included the stonecat (Noturus flavus) and the sicklefin redhorse (Moxostoma spp.).