Medium-size minnows, stonerollers average four to six inches in length. They have an unusual appearance, with light colored, very noticeable lips. The lower lip has a prominent ridge which they use during feeding to scrape algae and other tiny organisms off rocks. They have long intestines which they need for digesting these foods. Adult stonerollers are generally dull grey with a brassy tint.
Males develop an orange tint during spawning.
Stonerollers are spring spawners. Like many minnow species, male stonerollers build nests by using their mouth to carry or push gravel. Nests are communal and usually located at the upstream end of riffles. Stonerollers have little direct interaction with man. However, because of their need for clean water, these fish are occasionally used as an environmental indicator of stream water quality.