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Characiformes (Characins) >
Lebiasinidae (Pencilfishes) > Pyrrhulininae
Eponymy: Edward Drinker Cope (1840–1897) was an American palaeontologist, anatomist, herpetologist and ichthyologist. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Myers.
Issue
Myers did not originally illustrate this fish but Géry (1977:147) published a drawing by Pablo Bravo prepared under Myers’ direction, probably from the holotype. Until rather recently it was not known except for the preserved types. It occurs in acid clear and black water streams and is collected with the green neon, Paracheirodon simulans, and imported with it at times. It is a very slender fish, and the dorsal fin is placed far back on the body, almost over the anal fin. In life it grows to 6 cm or more. Its breeding behavior has not been noted. Marilyn Weitzman, pers. comm., Eschmeyer, 1998:402.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Subtropical
South America: Upper rio Negro upstream from São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Brazil and Venezuela.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 6.9 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 137764); 4.8 cm SL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 8; Anal soft rays: 9; Vertebrae: 36 - 37. This species is distinguished from all its congeners, except C. vilmae, by having 16±18 scales in the first longitudinal scale row (vs. 13±15), and by having 26±27 scales in the fourth longitudinal scale row (vs. 23±25); the males can be distinguished from that of C. vilmae by the absence of rows of conspicuous dark scales irregularly arranged on body (vs. presence); while females differs from the those of C. vilmae by the absence of a dark longitudinal band on body (vs. presence). Among Copella species, this is the largest species of the genus, with males reaching 6.89 cm SL and the females 4.81 cm SL (vs. less than 5.55 cm SL and 4.42cmm SL, respectively, in the congeners) (Ref. 137764).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated; Cross section: compressed.
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
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