As the common name suggests, the Mississippi Silvery Minnow is found in a large portion of the Mississippi River Drainage, including the Tennessee and Cumberland river drainages, as well as Gulf Coast drainages from Texas to Alabama, including the Mobile Basin. They live in slow waters of creeks to large rivers. As the common name also suggests, Mississippi Silvery Minnows have a silvery side. Like other members of the genus Hybognathus, Mississippi Silvery Minnows have a long intestine that allows them to process decaying plant matter.