Like the rest of the genus Bryconops, B. disruptus is silvery in color, with a relatively deep chest and a notable set of teeth.

[4] Due to the presence of a caudal ocellus, B. disruptus bears an outward resemblance to B. caudomaculatus, and its small size and general shape make it reminiscent of B.

[5] However, it can be told apart by various factors; these include fewer precaudal vertebrae (16 in B. disruptus versus 17–18 in B. caudomaculatus) and the lack of a caudal ocellus in B.

[7][8] Bryconops caudomaculatus, a closely related congener, is at the center of an informal species complex that formed around a history of mistaken identity or synonymy.

[11] The riverbed is stable, with low erosion and very few suspended particulates in the water, and the flora and fauna are generally sparse outside of species like B.

[12] Blackwater habitats generally have low oxygen content, which shows that B. disruptus does not need well-oxygenated waters to survive.