All fish / Serranidae

Shy Hamlet

Hypoplectrus guttavarius

Also known as shy hamlet, yellow hamlet, hamlet

A small, deep-bodied sea bass with a bright yellow body, a dark blackish-brown upper back and electric blue markings around the face. It is kept for its striking colours and bold character in rocky fish-only or reef tanks, where it stays near cover.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

12 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Keep singly, or as a pair in a large tank

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, krill, chopped shrimp and fish flesh, small live crustaceans

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Central Atlantic: Caribbean Sea, Bahamas and Florida Keys

Breeding

Hamlets are simultaneous hermaphrodites that pair up at dusk and take turns releasing eggs and sperm in the water column. Spawning has been seen in large aquaria, but rearing the tiny pelagic larvae is very difficult and rarely achieved.

Good to know

It will eat small fish and ornamental shrimp, so pick tankmates carefully, and keep only one hamlet unless the tank is large. Wild-collected fish may be subject to local collection rules in Florida.