Mayflies are the main source of food. Spawning takes place in shallow water over a bottom of coarse gravel. Darters are sexually mature in one year or less. The population in Missouri is dominated by individuals less than two years old, with a maximum age of three years. Eggs are usually deposited in open areas, on organic material that covers a sandy streambed.
Young darters tend to occupy more open areas.
Adult darters use areas with more aquatic vegetation. Habitat and Distribution Localized populations occur in the Arkansas drainage in eastern Colorado, southern Kansas, northeastern and north-central Oklahoma, southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas. The species is uncommon across its range. Distribution of the Arkansas darter is shrinking in the western and central parts of the range. It is susceptible to habitat loss resulting from irrigation diversions and through lowering of the water table caused by ground water pumping associated with irrigation and other water uses.