Hyphessobrycon copelandi is a species of South American tetra, belonging to the family Characidae. They are gray in coloration with a faint black humeral spot. Their dorsal, pectoral, and anal fins are white fronted. It is known to reach a length of . Hyphessobrycon copelandi is known to live in the Solimões, Mana, and Approuague River Basins. It is most often found in slow moving waters or areas in creeks with a counter current. It inhabits the upstream part of the river before waterfalls. They have seen limited use in the fish trade, even having a common name in German, federsalmler, which translates to "feather tetra". As a benthopelagic fish, they reside away from the surface of the water.
The fish is named in memory of Herbert Copeland, a Boston volunteer on the 1865–1866 Thayer Expedition to Brazil, during which the type specien was collected.[1]