Common Name
Maya Hamlet
Year Described
Lobel, 2011
Identification
Dorsal Fin: X, 14-15
Anal Fin: III, 6-7
Pectoral Fin: 13-14
Pelvic Fin: I, 5
Lateral Line: 48-54
Gill Rakers: 6-8 (upper), 11-15 (lower) on first arch
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
Body brilliant cobalt blue. Fins pale blue. No dark borders on caudal fin.
Size
Maximum size to 95mm SL.
Habitat
Coral reefs and seagrass beds, usually less than 10m depth.
Range
Known only from off Belize (Pelican Cays).
References
Lobel, P.S. 2011. A review of the Caribbean hamlets (Serranidae, Hypoplectrus) with description of two new species. Zootaxa No. 3096: 1-17.
Other Notes
More study with complete taxon sampling, many specimens from all over the Caribbean, and for multiple genes are required to determine just how many “species” of Hypoplectrus actually occur in the Caribbean Sea. The species are morphologically almost identical, and have weak genetic signatures indicating a recent radiation.