Generally three to five inches long, these drab, slate-colored minnows are rather ordinary in appearance. While cutlips minnows eat mostly aquatic insects and mollusks, they have the unusual habit of feeding on the eyes of other fish. Spawning takes place in late spring. Using pebbles, males construct round nests. If the proper sized pebbles are in short supply, the males will steal them from other nests.
Several females mate with one male who abandons the nest after spawning.
Cutlips minnows have little interaction with man. Redside Dace Redside dace are one of the most colorful minnows. Their backs are iridescent dark green or blue with a gold stripe on the side. There is a red band that runs from the gills to mid-body below the gold stripe. Dark scales are scattered across the body.