Northern Spring Cavefish have an unusual distribution; though they are restricted to a small geographic area centered around the Mississippi River and Ohio River confluence, they are found in many different drainages in this region, including the Tennessee and Cumberland river drainages. As the common name suggests, they are known from springs and entrances to cave systems. Unlike many other cave organisms, Northern Spring Cavefish have small eyes and are pigmented. They tend to be nocturnal.