jarocho hamlet
Hypoplectrus atlahua
Small hamlet that lives only in the Gulf of Mexico, in shallow waters, and is sometimes caught by anglers.
Also called: badejo-jarocho, vaquita jarocha, jarocho hamlet
- maximum
- 10 cm
- depth
- 1–20 m
who is the jarocho hamlet
The jarocho hamlet belongs to the family Serranidae and reaches 10.4 cm. It lives in the Gulf of Mexico, in shallow waters down to 20 m. Anglers catch it now and then in these waters, and it is caught commercially. In Latin America it is native to Mexico. It has long pectorals and pelvic fins that do not reach the anal fin. It is a small fish, with a short, deep, laterally compressed body, dark brown with violet spots on the front.
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 jarocho hamlet; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Dark brown body, with violet spots on the front and a well-marked spot on the back edge of the gill cover. It has no dark spots on the snout, at the base of the pectoral or on the caudal peduncle. It differs from the barred hamlet, which has six bands, by its dark color with violet spots, and from the black hamlet, which is almost entirely black without violet spots.
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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 is native to Mexico, in the Gulf of Mexico.
Habitat: Shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, 1 to 20 m.
rules for the jarocho 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. Being small, it can be released right away.
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 atlahua (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 atlahuaNames by country and language.
