Can be easily diagnosed from all other species of the genus , except

Moenkhausia oligolepis, Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae, Moenkhausia pyrophthalma, and Moenkhausia diktyota, by having a reticulated body pigmentation pattern and a conspicuous dark blotch on the caudal peduncle extending to the base of caudal-fin rays preceded by a lighter area. Differs from Moenkhausia oligolepis by the having incomplete pored lateral line (vs. complete) and 23-26 lateral line scales (vs. 28-31); from Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae by having 5 transverse series of scales above the lateral line (vs. 4 ) and 4 transverse series of scales below the lateral line (vs. 3); from Moenkhausia pyrophthalma by having body depth 38.3-45.2% in SL (vs. 31.2-33.0%), lateral line scales 23-26 (vs. 27-31), and an inconspicuous dark inverse triangular humeral blotch located on second and third lateral line scales (vs. a conspicuous black

inverse drop-shaped humeral blotch located on second to fourth lateral line scales); from Moenkhausia diktyota by its caudal peduncle with very widely scattered dark pigment resulting in conspicuous lighter area preceding a conspicuous caudal-fin blotch which extends between the dorsal to ventral margins of the proximal one-third of caudal-fin base (vs. caudal peduncle with elongate black stripe extending from the vertical through the last anal-fin ray to the tips of middle caudal fin rays) (Ref. 81199).

Description: Dorsal-fin rays ii,9; anal-fin rays iv,17-23, iv,22; pectoral-fin rays i,11-12; pelvic-fin rays i,7 (Ref. 81199).