Each side has two rows of dark blotches. The pelvic fins are entirely absent, while the anal fin is large, with 14 rays. The dorsal fin is set far back on the body, just above the anal fin, and is somewhat smaller than the anal fin, with 11 rays.
Subspecies
Of these subspecies, Crenicthys baileyi grandis and Crenicthys baileyi baileyi are listed as endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Etymology
The genus name is a compound of creno meaning "spring", a reference to the desert springs this species occurs in, and ichthys which is Greek for "fish". The specific name honours the American ethnologist and naturalist Vernon Orlando Bailey (1864-1942), who co-collected the type along with C. Hart Merriam.
Article text: Wikipedia contributors, White River springfish (source revision). Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
