Bryconops florenceae

Bryconops florenceae measures from 7.55 to 9.45 cm in standard length when fully grown. This places it slightly to the larger side of the genus Bryconops, though all members are of a similar size (within a roughly 3cm range). Its scales are generally silvery with a touch of tan towards the dorsal region. Silver coloration is not uncommon within Bryconops. One of the features that characterizes B. florenceae is a unique caudal-fin pattern. There is an isolated blotch of dark pigment near the base of the upper lobe, and the distal regions of the fin are left pale. This blotch of coloration is also seen in B. rheoruber, though there are other differences between the two; for instance, the distal regions of B. rheoruber's caudal fin are dusky, as are areas of its snout and jaw.

Sexual dimorphism. Male specimens of B. florenceae are equipped with bony hooks on the rays of the anal and pelvic fins. It is unknown if these hooks are permanent, or are a feature solely seen within mating season. Other members of Bryconops also display this feature.

Bryconops florenceae was originally documented from the waters of French Guiana in 1996. Its first appearance was in the book "Atlas des Poissons d'eau douce de Guyane (tome 1)", by Paul Planquette et al., though it was not formally named at the time. Therein, B. florenceae was described as a "western form" of Bryconops caudomaculatus, which is found in the Approuague and Oyapock rivers. Its current range is known to extend into Suriname, including the Sinnamary, Maroni, and Mana rivers; it demonstrates a preference for areas of strong current with rocky substrate. Though B. florenceae has not been the subject of specific dietary study, it is most likely to be an insectivore or omnivore, as is the pattern throughout its genus.

Conservation status. Though not formally evaluated by the IUCN, the original description for B. florenceae from researchers suggests an assessment of least concern. This is based upon a large native range and a lack of severe active threats to cut off any part of said range. Nonetheless, it may be the case that B. florenceae ends up as one of several Bryconops species threatened by human activity, such as illegal mining or farmland settlement.

== References ==

The specific epithet "florenceae" honors Florence de Rapleye Foerderer, a woman whose will left $7 million each to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Zoo, and Gallaudet University (a school for deaf and hard-of-hearing students) after she died in 1999. There was a suggestion to name B. florenceae Bryconops foerdererae, also to honor Foerderer, but speakers of Brazilian Portuguese would have had remarkable difficulty pronouncing "foerdererae". Thus, "florenceae" was chosen instead.