Jarocho Hamlet - Hypoplectrus Atlahua
The Jarocho hamlet has a uniform dark brown body, head, and dark brown eyes with a violet ring around lower half of eye, violet speckling on cheek & sides of snout; violet dotted lines under eye, 4 such lines on lower corner of operculum, reaching onto chest with anterior violet speckles and lines and a prominent violet spot at the upper rear corner of the opercle. Anal and pelvic fins dark brown, tail fin dark brown, with a pale center. It is further distinguished from all other hamlets by a combination of a lower gill raker count, a shorter snout, and longer pectoral and pelvic fins than its congeners. Restricted to the southwestern Gulf of Mexico (Veracruz, Mexico), its violet-flecked dark brown pattern and those subtle morphological differences from related species set it apart from the similar-looking black hamlet and yellowtail hamlet.
While this specimen has the dark brown coloration, a violet dot over the upper ear corner of the opercle, the blue edging on the pelvic fins, the center of the tail is not clear and it was not found in a previously confirmed location. Probably a Black Hamlet/ Location: Dominica, Toucari Flats
This specimen has the dark brown coloration, a violet dot over the upper ear corner of the opercle, the blue edging on the pelvic fins, the center of the tail is not clear and it was not found in a previously confirmed location. Location: Guadeloupe, West Bay
This specimen has the dark brown coloration, a violet dot over the upper ear corner of the opercle, the blue edging on the pelvic fins, a violet line under the eye, again the center of the tail is not clear and it was not found in a previously confirmed location. Location: Bahamas, Abacos, Sandy Cay

