yellowtail hamlet
Hypoplectrus chlorurus
Rare and small Caribbean hamlet, almost entirely dark with a bright yellow tail, from reefs rich in coral.
Also called: badejo-cauda-amarela, vaca de cola amarilla, yellowtail hamlet
- maximum
- 15 cm
- record/max.
- 0.1 kg
- depth
- 3–23 m
who is the yellowtail hamlet
The yellowtail hamlet belongs to the family Serranidae and reaches 15 cm and up to 51.5 g. It lives alone, near the bottom of reefs rich in coral, from 3 to 23 m. It is rare over most of the western Caribbean, becoming more frequent near Panama. It also appears in the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, the Lesser Antilles and islands near Venezuela, but not in Florida. It eats crustaceans and fish. It is caught commercially.
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 yellowtail hamlet; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It has been seen spawning together with the black hamlet.
identification
Body almost entirely dark, with the intensity of black varying from bluish to brownish, and all the fins pigmented. The tail fin is bright yellow, the main identifying sign. The pectorals are rarely yellow. It differs from the yellowbelly hamlet by its yellow tail and dark body, without a yellow belly, and from the black hamlet, also dark, by its yellow tail.
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 occurs in Mexico, Panama, Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.
Habitat: Reef bottoms rich in coral, 3 to 23 m.
rules for the yellowtail 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.
It poses no danger to the angler. Because it is rare and small, release it with care.
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 chlorurus (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 chlorurusNames by country and language.
