Hamlets

Hypoplectrus aberrans
Poey, 1868

Yellowbelly Hamlet

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These fishes belong in the Order Perciformes and Suborder Percoidei as members of the Family Serranidae (Groupers & Anthias), which include 3 Subfamilies, of which one Subfamily Serraninae has 11 genera with about 75 described species, one of which includes the fishes called Hamlets. All are found in the Western Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean. All prefer shallow rocky and coral reefs. They forge for food, basically crustaceans and small fishes, during the day and hide in crevices at night.

For in-depth information concerning these fishes, checkout Reef Fishes Volume 1 by Scott Michael (ISBN #1-890087-21-1). You can see a review of this exquisite book by visiting my Product & Book Reviews page.