Common Name
Black Hamlet
Year Described
Poey, 1852
Identification
Dorsal Fin: X, 14-17
Anal Fin: III, 7
Pectoral Fin: 13-14
Pelvic Fin: I, 5
Lateral Line: 48-53
Gill Rakers: 7 (upper), 13-14 (lower) on first arch, 18-21 total
Body robust and laterally compressed. Steeply sloping head profile. Dorsal fin continuous with no obvious notch between spiny and soft portions. Anal fin much smaller than dorsal fin. Caudal fin is typically truncate to slightly emarginate. The mouth is large and terminal, with the lower jaw often slightly projecting. Jaws bear villiform teeth, with an inner band of enlarged canines. Scales are ctenoid and cover the body and much of the head. The lateral line is continuous and curves gently along the upper body.
Color
Variable from uniform dark brown to yellowish brown anteriorly with almost black fins. There is often a bluish cast on the body and fins, especially the pelvic fins, anal fin, and lower head. The pectoral fin rays vary from yellow to black. The tail is always dark.
Size
Maximum size to 15.3cm SL.
Habitat
Coral reefs from 1-67m.
Range
Caribbean Sea: Bahamas to N. South America.
References
McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. 2005. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. Volume 2: Scorpaeniformes to Tetraodontiformes. University of Texas Press, Austin. i-viii +1-1004.