Taxonomy & naming
Kolpotocheirodon figueiredoi was described by Luiz R. Malabarba, Flávio C. T. Lima, and Stanley H. Weitzman in 2004, based on specimens collected from the rio Madeira drainage in the state of Rondônia, western Brazil. The species is the sole representative of the monotypic genus Kolpotocheirodon, making it the type species by definition. Its placement within Characidae reflects the broad family-level assignment standard for small South American characids of this type.
The specific epithet figueiredoi is a patronym, following the tradition of honouring contributors to Neotropical ichthyology common in the 2004 paper. Because the species is the only member of its genus, no congeneric comparisons exist beyond the original description. The valid name stands as Kolpotocheirodon figueiredoi Malabarba, Lima & Weitzman, 2004, with no parenthetical authority as the species was originally placed in Kolpotocheirodon, where it remains.
Morphology
Kolpotocheirodon figueiredoi is a small tetra reaching approximately 1 in standard length, consistent with the miniature body plan seen in many stream-dwelling characids of the rio Madeira basin. Beyond this size indication from the original description, detailed external morphology data from secondary sources are sparse for this species.
As a characid of this body size, it likely shares the general form of small tetras in the family: a laterally compressed, fusiform body, a forked caudal fin, the distinctive adipose fin of the family, and terminal or near-terminal jaws suited to picking small invertebrates from the water column. Specific coloration, fin ray counts, and scale formulae are documented in the original description but are not reproduced here from secondary sources.
Habitat
The type locality of Kolpotocheirodon figueiredoi is within the rio Madeira drainage in Rondônia, Brazil, placing it in the western Amazon basin. The species is a stream dweller, and conditions at and near the type locality are characteristic of clear-water Amazonian streams: water temperatures in the range of 72–77 °F and clear to lightly tinted water typical of the terra firme stream environment.
The rio Madeira is one of the largest tributaries of the Amazon and drains a broad region spanning western Brazil and parts of Bolivia. Stream habitats within this drainage at the latitudes of Rondônia typically feature moderate current, sandy or rocky substrates, overhanging riparian vegetation, and seasonally fluctuating water levels. Whether K. figueiredoi is broadly distributed within the Madeira drainage or restricted to a small area around the type locality remains unclear from available data.
Feeding
No dedicated diet study exists for Kolpotocheirodon figueiredoi. Based on its small size, stream habitat, and position within Characidae, it is inferred to be an opportunistic feeder on small aquatic invertebrates and other microfauna available in the water column and near the substrate — a pattern widespread among similarly sized characids sharing its habitat type.
In the aquarium, were the species to become available, a diet of small live and frozen invertebrates — newly hatched brine shrimp, Daphnia, small Cyclops, micro-worms — would suit its presumed natural feeding mode, supplemented by finely crushed quality flake or micro-pellets.
Mating
No observational data on the mating behaviour of Kolpotocheirodon figueiredoi have been published in accessible secondary sources. By analogy with other small characids of comparable size and stream habitat, the species is presumed to be an egg-scattering open spawner with no parental care — the reproductive strategy dominant across the family, including stream-dwelling tetras of the Amazon basin.
In such species, males typically pursue females and spawning occurs in open water or among fine-leaved vegetation and leaf litter, with fertilised eggs settling to the substrate or adhering briefly to plant material. No courtship-specific behaviours are documented for this species.
Breeding
Kolpotocheirodon figueiredoi has not been bred in captivity in any documented hobbyist account. In the absence of specific data, the likely breeding biology follows the general characid pattern: egg-scattering over fine-leaved plants or substrate, adhesive or semi-adhesive eggs, no parental care, and adults that will consume eggs given the opportunity.
Incubation and larval development times are undocumented for this species. Any future captive breeding attempts would logically start with soft to moderately soft, slightly acidic to neutral water in the 72–77 °F range reflecting the type locality conditions, fine-leaved plant spawning media, and removal of adults once spawning is observed.
In the aquarium
Kolpotocheirodon figueiredoi is essentially unknown in the aquarium hobby. It is not recorded in trade lists and has not been the subject of hobbyist husbandry accounts. As an obscure Amazonian endemic known only from its type locality region, it is unlikely to be available to aquarists in the foreseeable future.
Should specimens ever enter the hobby, the inferred care requirements — a well-filtered, clear-water stream biotope setup, temperatures of 72–77 °F, soft to moderately soft water, small live and frozen foods, and peaceful tankmates of comparable size — would provide a reasonable starting point based on its type locality environment and the care norms for small characids of the rio Madeira basin.
Conservation
Kolpotocheirodon figueiredoi has not been assessed by the IUCN Red List as of 2026. The species is an obscure Amazonian endemic documented from the rio Madeira drainage in Rondônia, and its conservation status remains formally unevaluated — it would be characterised as Not Evaluated (NE) under IUCN criteria.
Rondônia is one of the most heavily deforested states in Brazil, and the rio Madeira drainage has experienced significant land-use change and hydropower development, including the Jirau and Santo Antônio dam complex. The impact of these pressures on small stream-dwelling tetras such as K. figueiredoi is unknown, but any species known only from a restricted locality within a heavily modified drainage warrants attention. Formal assessment of its range, population status, and habitat condition would be a valuable first step.