Hypoplectrus

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Hypoplectrus puella (cropped).jpg

| taxon = Hypoplectrus

| authority = T. N. Gill, 1861

| type_species_authority = Cuvier, 1828{{Cof record | genid = 3030 | title = Hypoplectrus | access-date = 1 September 2020}}

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = see text

}}

Hypoplectrus is a genus of fishes commonly known as hamlets, found mainly in coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, particularly around Florida and the Bahamas. They are a popular choice for hobbyist saltwater aquariums, and come in a variety of colors.

Reproduction

Hamlets are simultaneous hermaphrodites (or synchronous hermaphrodites): They have both male and female sexual organs at the same time as an adult, meaning that they function as a male and female, making them one of the few vertebrates that are male and female at the same time. They seem quite at ease mating in front of divers, allowing observations in the wild to occur readily. They do not practice self-fertilization, but when they find a mate, the pair takes turns between which one acts as the male and which acts as the female through multiple matings, usually over the course of several nights. Hamlets preferentially mate with individuals of their same color pattern.{{cite journal |author1=Bernal, M.A. |author2=Rocha, L.A. |year=2012 |title=Speciation with Gene Flow in Coral Reef Fishes |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/10325 |url-status=usurped |journal=In: Steller. D., Lobel. L., Eds. Diving for Science 2012. Proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences, 31st Symposium. |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131118021143/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/10325 |archive-date=November 18, 2013}}

Species

There are currently 18 recognized species in this genus:

class="wikitable"

!Species

!Common name

!Image

Hypoplectrus aberrans

Poey, 1868

|Yellowbelly hamlet

|frameless

Hypoplectrus atlahua

Tavera & Acero P, 2013

|Jarocho hamlet Tavera, J. & Acero P., A. (2013): Description of a new species of Hypoplectrus (Perciformes: Serranidae) from the Southern Gulf of Mexico. aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, 19 (1): 29–38.

|frameless

Hypoplectrus castroaguirrei

Del-Moral-Flores, J. L. Tello-Musi

& J. A. Martínez-Pérez, 2012

|frameless

Hypoplectrus chlorurus

G. Cuvier, 1828

|Yellowtail hamlet

|frameless

Hypoplectrus ecosur

Victor, 2012

|frameless

Hypoplectrus floridae

Victor, 2012

|frameless

Hypoplectrus gemma

Goode & T. H. Bean, 1882

|Blue hamlet

|frameless

Hypoplectrus gummigutta

Poey, 1851

|Golden hamlet

Hypoplectrus guttavarius

Poey, 1852

|Shy hamlet

|frameless

Hypoplectrus indigo

Poey, 1851

|Indigo hamlet

|frameless

Hypoplectrus liberte

Victor & Marks 2018

|Striped hamlet{{Cite web |title=Hypoplectrus liberte summary page |url=https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Hypoplectrus-liberte |access-date=2025-05-25 |website=FishBase |language=en}}

Hypoplectrus maculiferus

Poey, 1871

Hypoplectrus maya

Lobel, 2011

|Maya hamlet

Hypoplectrus nigricans

Poey, 1852

|Black hamlet

|frameless

Hypoplectrus providencianus

Acero P & Garzón-Ferreira, 1994

|Masked hamlet