It is a middlingly common tetra in the aquarium industry, with hobbyist reports of its sale and presence, and it is also a well-studied member of the genus Astyanax in wild settings.

[11] These species include - but are not limited to - A. argyrimarginatus, A. clavitaeniatus, A. goyacensis, A. novae, A. rupununi, A. saltor, A. siapae, A. unitaeniatus, A. utiariti, A. validus, A. abramis, A. maculisquamis, A. borealis, and A.

[12] In past studies of species in this group, it has been simpler for researchers to ignore designations and consider all examined specimens to be examples of A. bimaculatus, delineating by region instead of name.

The specific reason for this allusion was not made clear in the nominal text, but the large, armor-like scales of type species Astyanax argentatus may be responsible.

[22][23] Before taxonomic revisions, the reported variation in the numbers of fin-rays and lateral-line scales was much greater, due to separate species all being grouped under a single name.

[25] There is a strong black humeral spot, and another strong blotch of pigment at the base of the caudal fin that extends onto the middle caudal-fin rays; these two spots are shared amongst all members of the A. bimaculatus species complex, which is often considered one of the defining characteristics therein, even if a small handful of species do not conform, including A. elachylepis and A.

[28] Bony hooks also develop on the anal and pelvic fins of sexually mature males during spawning season, then regress afterwards.

[32] Because it mostly eats plant matter, it serves an important role in the food chain, transferring that energy up into the animals that prey upon it.

[2] Nonetheless, it can stay alive for long periods of time in suboptimal conditions; one example, documented by zoologist William Beebe in 1942, was a wide variety of aquatic life stranded in a pond that had been reduced to a mud puddle in the severe dry season of Caripito, Venezuela.

[31] One of the most comprehensive lists of species found alongside A. bimaculatus came as a result of William Beebe's discovery of a drying-up pond in Venezuela.

Fascinated by the circumstances and by just how many animals had remained alive in such poor conditions, Beebe made an annotated list of all of the species he and his colleagues could identify.

In times of scarcity, energy resources can be diverted from the bodily fat or from the liver to the gonads of female specimens; males do not use the same strategy.

[42] Males also demonstrate reproductive morphology considered to be more "primitive" in phylogeny, including how the sperm cells are formed and carried.

Specifically, these factors may be genotoxic, which means that they can damage cell "building blocks" and lead to harmful mutations (such as cancer).

A. bimaculatus can be used as a biological indicator (bioindicator) of pollutants that may be genotoxic, based upon the formation of micronuclei in the red blood cells.

The enzymes that are higher or lower depend on factors from the surrounding environment, such as low oxygen, so measurements therein can indicate changes in water parameters and various pollutants.

[49] Astyanax bimaculatus is generally non-competitive and will make changes in its own behavior so that its niche is not interfered with by sympatric species; this includes environment usage and components of dietary intake.

In hobbyist circles, A. bimaculatus is a species known to need ample swimming space, and should not be paired with more retiring fish given its "rambunctious" habits.

[53] Researchers have experimented with using lactic acid bacteria from the intestinal tract of A. bimaculatus as a probiotic supplement for captive fish.

[54] In turn, turmeric (Curcuma longa) has been shown to have positive histological effects on A. bimaculatus, resulting in decreased parasite activity.

[57] Changes in accessible dietary components also do not impede A. bimaculatus populations, as they are prepared to take advantage of whatever food sources may be nearby, given opportunistic feeding habits.