This species is distinguished from all its congeners, except Hyphessobrycon agulha, H. clavatus, H. herbertaxelrodi, H. klausanni, H. loretoensis, H. lucenorum, H. margitae, H. metae, H. mutabilis, H. peruvianus, H. wadai, by having the lower half of body deeply pigmented with dark chromatophores, mainly above the anal fin, forming a broad, diffuse, dark midlateral stripe (vs. no longitudinal stripe, narrow stripe starting approximately at vertical through the dorsal-fin origin, or relatively narrow, well-defined, dark midlateral stripe on body extending from the posterior margin of the eye to the middle caudal-fin rays); with high concentration of dark chromatophores along unbranched dorsal-fin rays and distal portions of the two or three subsequent branched rays (vs. dark chromatophores absent or, when present, only scattered on fin) (Ref. 128641).