It is a small, silvery fish with a bright red tail fin that is known to eat invertebrates, like insects and freshwater zooplankton.

It gets the specific epithet "imitator" from its strong resemblance to another member of the genus, Bryconops colaroja; however, there are subtle differences in bone structure, color, and other traits that allow for differentiation.

B. imitator has a slightly more arched predorsal region, and a thinner caudal peduncle (the joint where the tail fin attaches to the body).

It lacks a humeral spot, a mark above the pectoral fin in some fish (including many Bryconops), and has no increase in pigmentation in the eye and cheek region.

[1] Illegal gold mining is a thriving industry in Latin America as a whole, and the activities therein are damaging and endangering many habitats, not just aquatic.

[11] Specific threats include mercury toxicity,[12] which is dangerous not just to inhabitants like B. imitator but also to the human communities that rely on the river systems for water.