All fish / Serranidae

Indigo Hamlet

Hypoplectrus indigo

Also known as indigo hamlet, indigo sea bass, blue barred hamlet, 靛蓝低纹鮨

A small, deep-bodied sea bass with bold vertical bands of deep indigo blue alternating with white. Keepers like it for its striking colour, hardiness once settled and its curious, active habits around rockwork.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

11 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Keep singly; one hamlet per tank

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, chopped shrimp, krill, small crustaceans and quality frozen meaty foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Central Atlantic: Florida Keys, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Belize, Honduras and Cuba

Breeding

Hamlets are simultaneous hermaphrodites that pair at dusk and take turns releasing eggs and sperm. Spawning has rarely been achieved in home aquariums and rearing the pelagic larvae is very difficult.

Good to know

It will eat small fish and ornamental shrimps, so it is not safe with tiny tankmates or cleaner shrimps. Other hamlets are usually fought with, and it is collected from the wild in limited numbers.