Butter hamlet (Hypoplectrus unicolor)

Scientific name: Hypoplectrus unicolor Walbaum, 1792

The Butter hamlet (Hypoplectrus unicolor) is a marine fish of the family Serranidae. Native range: Western Central Atlantic, Florida (USA), Bahamas and throughout the Caribbean. Absent from the Gulf of Mexico.

Biology

Adults pale yellow; usually darker dorsally; grayish yellow that pales ventrally. Iridescent blue dorsal-ventral lines on head, sometimes extending to the leading edge of pelvic fins. One distinct blue line encircles the orbit and extends ventrally on each side of the fish. Two black pigment spots are sometimes found on the snout region of the nares. A large black saddle on caudal peduncle, extending below the lateral line on each side of the fish. Pelvic fins yellowish, pectorals clear.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Hypoplectrus unicolor
Family: Serranidae (Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 12.7
Environment: Marine; reef-associated
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Western Central Atlantic: Florida (USA), Bahamas and throughout the Caribbean. Absent from the Gulf of Mexico.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Aquarium: commercial
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)