The fantail darter is distributed across much of eastern North America, from the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River basins to South Carolina and northern Alabama, in small streams.
They can be found as far west as northeastern Oklahoma.
These darters, like many others, live in smaller streams.
Due to their breeding habits, they are found in areas of the stream with cobbles and flat stones. .
These fish are especially abundant near large slabs of limestone or shale.
Partly because of their wide range of habitats, fantail darters have not been labelled as endangered.

It is well-adapted for stream life, and the environmental changes that occur in streams as the seasons change.
Changes can include the loss of microhabitats, when the fish must drift downstream to find another, and also include changes in oxygen levels due to pollution or weather.
The fantail darter is distributed across much of eastern North America, from the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River basins to South Carolina and northern Alabama, in small streams. They can be found as far west as northeastern Oklahoma. These darters, like many others, live in smaller streams. Due to their breeding habits, they are found in areas of the stream with cobbles and flat stones. . These fish are especially abundant near large slabs of limestone or shale. Partly because of their wide range of habitats, fantail darters have not been labelled as endangered.
It is well-adapted for stream life, and the environmental changes that occur in streams as the seasons change. Changes can include the loss of microhabitats, when the fish must drift downstream to find another, and also include changes in oxygen levels due to pollution or weather.
Fantail darter