Topeka shiners are found most often in the upper Des Moines and Raccoon rivers with a few scattered populations in the northwest and east-central streams. This shiner is designated as a federal endangered species and as a threatened state species.

The Topeka shiner has a stout body form that is only slightly compressed. The back is straw colored, and the scales are edged with pigment, while the sides are silvery, and the belly is silvery-white. A prominent dusky lateral band terminates at the base of the caudal fin with a distinct, though small, dark wedge-shaped spot. Nuptial males have bright red or orange fins on the lower sides. A terminal mouth is small and oblique and no barbel is present. Pharyngeal teeth are arranged in a 4-4 pattern. The anal fin contains 7 rays, and the lateral line has about 35 scales.

Adults reach about 3 inches in length. This species spawns from late June to August. The Topeka shiner is essentially a fish of wide expanses with sandy shoals in the upper reaches of streams, which may be intermittent during the summer.

*Mayhew, J. (editor). 1987. Iowa Fish and Fishing. Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa. 323 pp.