As a freshwater fish, it inhabits the basin of the Madeira River in Brazil along with parts of Peru and Bolivia, and it reaches a maximum length of 4.3 centimetres (1.7 in).

[2] Though it is mainly found in the wild, it is occasionally kept by fishkeepers[3] and is sometimes confused with the neon tetra.

[4] The fish is primarily an insectivore, though it does eat vegetable matter.

[5] It is considered to form a group with other species in Hyphessobrycon as they share a dark stripe running lengthwise.

[6] While its name comes from the native name for this species along the Madeira River in Brazil,[7] the fish also occurs in Colombia and Peru.