Similar to stonerollers, redside dace make good environmental indicators of water quality because of their need for clean water. Spottail Shiner Silver colored fish, spottail shiners get their name from the prominent dark spot on their tails. They can live in a variety of habitats, but prefer sandy areas in large lakes and streams. Spottail shiners are found in Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, the Hudson River drainage, and the Finger Lakes Region east to the Delaware and Mohawk rivers. They are early summer spawners and spawn in areas with sandy bottoms.
Large numbers gather over the spawning sites to deposit eggs.
There is no parental care given. Adult spottail shiners feed on algae, insects, and fish eggs and larvae, including their own. In areas where they are abundant, they are usually the main forage item for other fish. Spottail shiners are frequently used as baitfish by anglers. Their scales fall off easily when handled.