The swallowtail shiner is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Leuciscidae, the shiners, daces and minnows. This species is found in North America. It has a slender and long body of about 40–55 millimetres (1.6–2.2 in). The shiner has a pale yellow back with a blue stripe on its silver side. It also has a silvery white belly. Its fins are yellowish and it has a dorsal fin originating above the back half of the pelvic fin base and a tail fin with a black spot at its base. When viewed from above, two pigmented stripes are visible near the dorsal fin: one predorsally and the postdorsally. Its snout is either slightly pointed or slightly rounded. The swallowtail shiner lives in warm creeks and in river pools.