Indigo Hamlet Fish

Hypoplectrus indigo

Today's animal is a pretty little guy that can be found in the tropical waters of the West Atlantic. Meet the Indigo Hamlet!

There are actually a whole bunch of Hamlet Fish species, all of which belong to the Sea Bass family. I can see the resemblance!

Indigo Hamlets live on Coral Reefs at depths of up to 150ft (45m) and feed on smaller animals like crabs, shrimp, and other fish. They tend to stay near one area of the reef for their entire life and protect it as a home territory.

One really neat fact about eh Indigo Hamlet (and most Hamlets actually) is that they have both male and female genitalia. They perform very intricate and elaborate mating dances, and the fish will take on whichever role is needed! 

Indigo Hamlets can be kept in captivity, but they require larger aquariums due to their territorial nature.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : West Atlantic
Size : Length 5.5in (14cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Perciformes
Family : Serranidae -- Genus : Hypoplectrus -- Species : H. indigo