barred hamlet
Hypoplectrus puella
Small hamlet of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico reefs, with six brown bands on the body. There are reports of ciguatera, so take care.
Also called: badejo-barrado, mero barril, barred hamlet
- maximum
- 15 cm
- depth
- 3–17 m
who is the barred hamlet
The barred hamlet belongs to the family Serranidae and reaches 15.2 cm. It is solitary and lives on coral and rock reefs, always near shelter, from 3 to 23 m, more common between 3 and 17 m. It occurs across the Caribbean, in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and in Bermuda. In Latin America it ranges from Mexico and Central America to Venezuela, including Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago. It is caught commercially and also sold for aquariums. There are reports of ciguatera.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the barred hamlet; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Cream to light yellow body, with six brown bands, the first passing through the eye and the second wide on the nape. It has blue lines on the head and body, and the pelvic fins vary from white to yellowish, with transparent pectorals. It differs from the black hamlet, which is almost entirely black, by its light bands and blue lines.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
In Latin America it ranges from Mexico and Central America to Venezuela, with records in Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago.
Habitat: Coral and rock reefs, 3 to 23 m, always near shelter.
rules for the barred hamlet
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
There are reports of ciguatera, a poisoning from eating reef fish, so the best option is to release it. There is no other known danger to the angler.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01778, b = 3.03; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Hypoplectrus puella (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Hypoplectrus puellaNames by country and language.
