The Brindled Madtom is a small member of the catfish family that measures just over 3-inches in length. There are distinct black and yellow markings on its body and fins. This fish avoids large rivers and riffles, but can be found in leaf-littered pools of clear streams. Known as a nocturnal feeder, this fish feeds mostly on aquatic insect larvae that inhabit the substrate. Few brindled madtoms are thought to survive beyond 3 years. In the last twenty-five years, it has been documented in the Spring River (Cherokee County) and Cedar Creek (Chase County).
The majority of the natural range of the Brindled Madtom is east of Kansas in the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys. The western periphery of its range extends up the Arkansas River basin into southeast Kansas.