Chinese trumpetfish in shape to the anal fin which is just under. The pelvic fins are located in the middle of the body and are small, with one basal black spot. The body coloration can be uniform or mottled in a range of grey, brown, or dark green. Some fish are uniformly bright yellow. The rear part of the body is normally black with white dots. Two black spots are present on the tail. The compound set of the long caudal peduncle and the caudal fin is yellowish, whatever the fish coloration. Caudal fin usually has two round black spots, at least
Astyanax microschemos its middle caudal fin; a faint dark pigmentation is also present in the middle of caudal fin rays. The previously described stripe extends dorsally and ventrally close to the caudal fin base, forming a small caudal spot. The fish also exhibits a solitary black, narrow, and vertically elongate humeral spot, located over the second to fourth lateral line scales and which extends over 2-3 horizontal series of scales. Fins have scattered dark chromatophores. "A. microschemos" is only known from the river source of the Itapemirim River, in Espírito Santo, eastern Brazil. At the type locality where the animal was first