Bryconops piracolina

Bryconops piracolina, upon being named in 2011, was assigned to the subgenus Bryconops.^[5] It has fewer teeth than is necessary on the maxilla (one to three teeth on both sides) for assignment to the other subgenus, Creatochanes.^[7] As with the rest of Bryconops, it was once considered a member of the family Characidae, but research in 2011 moved Bryconops to the family Iguanodectidae, alongside the genera Iguanodectes and Piabucus.^[8][9]

Bryconops piracolina has no known scientific synonyms, having retained its original name.^[10][11] It also has no widely accepted common names,^[12] though "Piracolina tetra" has been suggested as a result of its type locality. (The specific epithet "piracolina" originates from the Igarapé Piracolina, where B. piracolina was first described.)^[13] Members of Bryconops are but a handful of fish often referred to as "tetras"; examples include B. affinis (the orangefin tetra),^[14] B. caudomaculatus (the tailspot tetra),^[15] and B. melanurus (the tail-light tetra).^[16]

As is reflected in the specific epithet, B. piracolina was first cited from the Igarapé Piracolina (or Piracolina Creek in English), a small stream that flows into the Rio Machado located in Vilhena, Rondônia, Brazil.^[5] In turn, the Río Machado is a tributary of the Río Madeira.^[17] There is evidence to suggest that B. piracolina is endemic to the area, along with several other species therein.^[17] Endemism is a trait known from tributaries of the Río Machado, though in a somewhat limited capacity.^[18]

The Igarapé Piracolina itself is a clear-water creek with a fast current and sandy substrate.^[18] Its width ranges from 1-3 m (about 3-10 ft), and depth from 0.3-1.5 m (1-5 ft).^[17] The Piracolina and its tributaries are surrounded by cultivated farmland, largely soy and corn, with very little riparian vegetation.^[19]

Though little is known of population trends and environmental threats, B. piracolina is considered a species of least concern by the IUCN.^[1]