Adult males oscillate between 4–8 cm (1.6–3.1 in), and can be distinguished from females by the orangish rims of their fins.

The species is carnivorous, feeding on insects, larvae, and worms.

The Valencia toothcarp is listed as a vulnerable species by the Spanish government and the IUCN.

Its populations dwindled as a result of land reclamation, an intense phenomenon in Valencia during the 1980s, attributed to the tourism boom.

[1] Recently, the species has been the object of a conservation and reintroduction program spearheaded by the Valencian regional government, which aims to reverse further declines.