Both Notemigonus and crysoleucas are Greek, meaning "angled back" and "golden white" (a reference to the fish's color). The golden shiner is a deep-bodied minnow. There are 7-9 branched rays in the dorsal fin, and 8-19 branches rays in the anal fin. The mouth is small and upturned. The lateral line has a strong downward curve. The back is olive green, with a darker stripe along the midline. The sides range in color from silver to gold. Texas, golden shiners in excess of 8 inches and weighing 0.25 pounds have been reported.