Description

Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14 - 15; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 6 - 7; Vertebrae: 23. This species is distinguished from its congeners by the solid deep iridescent blue color and lack of black margins on fins. It is similarly colored as the blue hamlet, H. gemma, from Florida and the Yucatan; it is only distinguished by having dark black upper and lower margins on the caudal fin (Ref. 88139).

Common Names

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei

Order: Perciformes/Serranoidei

Family: Serranidae

Genus: Hypoplectrus

Species: Hypoplectrus maya Lobel, 2011

Climate Zone

Location

Biology

This species is often found among the mangrove roots that grow over shallow seagrass beds. The colors of H. maya and the tunicate, Clavelina puerto-secensis, (growing on mangrove roots) are quite similar and perhaps this hamlet has evolved camouflage coloration against this tunicate. It has also been observed on several occasions that this species attacks small silversides (Jenkinsia lamprotaenia) which form diurnal aggregations among the mangrove roots (Ref. 88139).

Habitat

associated