[2][3] Today large numbers are bred in captivity and it is common in the aquarium trade,[4] but the remaining wild population in Southeast Brazil is highly threatened.

[5][6][8] The rear half of the body is flame red while the area in front of the dorsal fin is silver crossed by two dark vertical bars.

The flame tetra is native to Southeast Brazil, where it occurs in coastal parts of Rio de Janeiro (Guanabara bay region, and Paraíba do Sul and Guandu River basins) and São Paulo (upper Tietê River basin).

[5][6] It lives in rivers and streams, generally preferring shallow (less than 0.5 m or 1.6 ft deep), slow-flowing sections with vegetation and a water temperature from 22 to 28 °C (72–82 °F).

[5][6] In its small remaining distribution, it is common in the Tietê River basin (which possibly is not natural, but introduced) and rare elsewhere.