This species exhibits clear sexual dimorphism, with males having much longer dorsal fins than the females.

Males also tend to be more brightly coloured, but both sexes are attractive fish and have become popular with aquarists.

The eye is marked with red above the pupil, and there is a dark band running along the midline of the body.

Although the patronym was not identified, it is probably in honor of Swiss-born geographer-botanist Henri François Pittier (1857–1950), who lived in Venezuela and collected some specimens for Eigenmann.

They hail originally from the waters of Lake Valencia, located between the states Carabobo and Aragua, and its tributaries.

In the wild they eat whatever they can forage, with a preference for small animal food items, especially mosquito larvae.