It is mostly silvery, with notable green iridescence on its sides, and a diffuse ocellus (eyespot) on the upper lobe of the caudal fin.

However, research in 2011 by Oliveira et al. moved the genera Bryconops, Piabucus, and Iguanodectes into the family Iguanodectidae,[3] which is where B. collettei currently stands.

[9][10] Its scales are generally silvery with a touch of iridescent green, and it has a lateral stripe in various colors: black on top, silver in the middle, and emerald-green at the bottom.

When compared to B. magoi, the general body shape is different in several ways, including B. collettei's shorter snout and longer spine, but the coloration is quite similar.

[12] Bryconops collettei is found only in Venezuela, with a preference for rivers that have a moderate-to-fast flow and rocky or sandy substrate.

Cursory study has shown that B. collettei has a taste for terrestrial insects, but there hasn't been a great deal of diet-specific research.

[19] An aspect of conservation to note is that B. collettei lives in the Caura river basin, which is under consistent anthropogenic pressures.