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Lebiasinidae (Pencilfishes) > Pyrrhulininae
Eponymy: Edward Drinker Cope (1840–1897) was an American palaeontologist, anatomist, herpetologist and ichthyologist. [...] Professor Dr Carl Henry Eigenmann (1863–1927) was a German-born American ichthyologist. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Regan.
Issue
See the notes above under C. arnoldi. As noted the type localities for this species are widespread and the syntypes are varied as to size and preservation. The syntypes labeled Bogotá were probably collected near Villavicencio on the Río Meta, and are Copella metae. The other localities are between the mouth of the Orinoco in Venezuela to the north and Para, which might be in Brazil as has been presumed by authors or it might be in Surinam. Marilyn Weitzman, pers. comm., Eschmeyer, 1998:513.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 5.8 - 7.5; dH range: ? - 25. Tropical; 23°C - 27°C (Ref. 1672)
South Amercia: Rio Orinoco basin (Colombia and Venezuela); upper rio Negro (Brazil and Venezuela) and upper rio Putumayo drainage (Colombia, rio Amazonas basin).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 5.6 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 137764); 4.4 cm SL (female)
Dorsal soft rays (total): 8; Anal soft rays: 9; Vertebrae: 34. This species is distinguished from all its congeners by the following characters: middle caudal-fin rays dark (vs. hyaline or with a small dark patch at base of middle caudal-fin rays on callolepis); differs further from arnoldi by having the procurrent caudal-fin rays black (vs. hyaline); differs from compta by having 14±15 scales on the first longitudinal scale row (vs. 16±17); differs from nattereri by the absence of a black spot on the
posterior portion of each body scale (vs. presence); differs from callolepis by the absence of a series of conspicuous clear spot on each scale of the fourth longitudinal scale row (vs. presence); males differs from those of vilmae by the absence of discontinuous longitudinal series of dark scales on body (vs. continuous), and from females of vilmae by the absence of a small dark spot at the base of the upper caudal-fin lobe (vs. presence) (Ref. 137764).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated; Cross section: compressed.
Found in weedy river bays (Ref. 598).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Marinho, M.M.F. and N.A. Menezes, 2017. Taxonomic review of Copella (Characiformes: Lebiasinidae) with an identification key for the species. PLoS ONE 12(8):e0183069:1-53. (Ref. 137764)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Aquarium: commercial
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