The Canadian population of the Carmine shiner occurs only in south-central eastern Manitoba. The Carmine shiner has been recorded "in the Whitemouth River watershed, the Winnipeg River at the mouth of the Whitemouth River; The Old Pinawa Channel at the Pinawa Dam site; Forbes Creek, a tributary of George Lake; Tie Creek, the outlet of George Lake into the Winnipeg River; the Bird River at the mouth of Peterson Creek; and further upstream from Peterson Creek at the first set of rapids on the Bird River." [Source: The Freshwater Fishes of Manitoba (Stewart, Kenneth W., and Douglas A. Watkinson, University of Manitoba Press)]

This slim, silvery minnow grows to a length of between 51 and 76 millimetres. It has a large mouth and transparent fins. The Carmine shiner is named for the red tinge that colours the head and pectoral fins of breeding males. (Females can also develop the same red hue, but it is typically paler when it does appear.) Breeding males also develop many small swellings-known as nuptial tubercles-on their snout, lower jaw and anterior pectoral, and sometimes on the upper surfaces of the pelvic, dorsal and anal fins. Similar swellings can appear on the heads of females.