The Starhead Topminnow is a wide-ranging species found from Great Lakes and Mississippi River drainages in Wisconsin and Michigan to Gulf Coast drainages in Mississippi and Alabama. They are associated with aquatic vegetation and found in backwaters including streams, ditches, and swamps. As the common name suggests, Starhead Topminnows have a unique pattern on the top of their head. As with all topminnows, they live at the top of the water column.