Diagnosed from other species of the genus Hyphessobrycon by the following characters: dorsal fin with 3 simple and 8 branched rays (vs. 2 simple and 9 branched rays, except Hyphessobrycon notidanos with iii, 8); anal fin with 4 simple and 26-27 branched rays (vs. 3 simple and 17-24 branched rays); dentary teeth 19 (vs. 6-12); scales on lateral line 35 (vs. 31-34, except for Hyphessobrycon heterorhabdus with 37); pored lateral line scales 10-11 (vs. 8-9); longitudinal scale rows from the lateral line to the dorsal fin 7 (vs. 5, except in Hyphessobrycon heterorhabdus with 7) and predorsal scales 14 (vs. 10-11). Differs from a very similar species Hyphessobrycon notidanos by the possession of the following characters: lateral line scales 35 (vs. 32-34); pored scales 12-14 (vs. 9-11);

scale rows between dorsal-fin origin and lateral line 7 (vs. 6); predorsal median scales 12-14 (vs. 9-11); teeth in the dentary 19 (vs. 7); teeth in the maxillary 5-6 (vs. 2-4); dorsal-fin rays iv, 26-27 (vs. iii, 17-20); body depth 37.84-45.59% SL (vs. 36.84-37.79% SL); and snout-anal fin distance 56.71-65.05% SL (vs. 62.52-80.39% SL) (Ref. 76880).

Description: P ii,10-11; V ii,6-7 (Ref. 76880).