The Speckled Darter lives in large, clear streams having moderate or steep gradients. It prefers pools below swift riffles, often at depths of two feet or more, except when spawning. They spawn in April. The males gather on broad, shallow riffles over clean, rounded gravel of uniformly small size. The spawning activity of this species is similar to that of the orange-throat darter. Food source is midge larvae and microcrustaceans, supplemented by mayflies and caddisflies.
The Speckled Darter is found only in the Spring River and Shoal Creek in Kansas.