**Description:** A small, aggressive native fish with 5 to 6 independent, sharp spines on its back.
**Size:** Typically 1.5–2.5 inches long.
**Sexual Dimorphism:** During the spring spawn, males turn jet-black and develop a copper-colored sheen.
**Conservation:** Uncommon; sensitive to habitat changes and siltation.
**Habitat:** Quiet, cool backwaters and vegetated margins of forest streams.
**Behavior:** Males build complex tunnel-shaped nests out of algae and a natural "glue" from their kidneys.