It consists of small fish, all under half-a-foot long, with slender bodies and silvery scales, though there is some mild color variation.

Many Bryconops prefer clearwater environments with a strong current, though some are partial to slow-moving blackwater, and several are endemic to their locale.

The greatest threats to population levels come almost entirely in the form of anthropogenic hazards, including mining, dam construction, farmland settlement, and destruction of the riparian zone.

Certain morphological consistencies within the genus have contributed to its accepted status as a monophyletic clade,[5] though said monophyly remains somewhat unclear, and is largely based on shared physical traits.

However, research in 2011 examined morphological and phylogenetic evidence, and prompted taxonomists to move Bryconops to a different family, Iguanodectidae.

[30] In 1910, German-American ichthyologist Carl H. Eigenmann designated Bryconops alburnoides the type species of the genus.

[34] In turn, the genus name Brycon originates from the Greek "bryko", which means "to bite" or "to devour".

[10] Fish of the genus Brycon are equipped with a full set of teeth on their maxillaries, making for an apt name.

[6] Their distribution is quite wide as a genus, though individual species display some endemism (such as the cases of B. piracolina, restricted to the creek of its namesake,[35] and B. chernoffi, to the Rio Ipixuna).

[11] Specific rivers known to host various species of Bryconops include the Tapajós,[6] Orinoco,[36] Negro,[24] Casiquiare,[37] and Madeira.

[43] The lattermost species, B. caudomaculatus, demonstrates varying body composition based upon where it lives (a fast-moving creek versus a still lagoon).

For instance, B. inpai and B. magoi both live in areas with dense riparian vegetation, which means that insects frequently fall into the water from above, generating a consistent food source.

[48][59] B. alburnoides picks insects from the riverbanks, though it does take advantage of wind or rain that sweep food into the water.

[60] B. caudomaculatus eats the aquatic larval forms of its prey,[61] but will also actively leap from the water to target flying insects, especially during twilight hours.

Almost all threats come in the form of environmental anthropogenic hazards, including farmland settlement, illegal mining, dam construction, and riparian zone destruction.

[64] Species in the Rio Tapajós in particular are under greater survival pressure due to environmental disturbance as a result of illegal mining.

The illegal mining sector is enormous in Latin America as a whole, despite its risks to both participants and the environment,[65] and can have disastrous results, such as mercury poisoning affecting the people and wildlife involved.

[citation needed] The Tapajós is also often targeted for infrastructure development, though considerations have been taken in recent times in the context of environmental preservation.

[67] Species from the Tocantins basin are largely pressured by the construction of hydroelectric dams, which greatly alter the flow of water and present new environmental hazards.

[26][71] Destruction and disturbance of the riparian zone (the interface between water and land) is another factor that could trouble various species of Bryconops.

[72] Settlement of the surrounding land for use in farms causes a marked decrease in water quality, including factors like pesticide use and fecal contamination.