yellowbelly hamlet
Hypoplectrus aberrans
Small Caribbean hamlet of reefs, with a yellow belly and dark back, which feeds mainly on shrimp.
Also called: badejo-ventre-amarelo, vaca de vientre amarillo, yellowbelly hamlet
- maximum
- 13 cm
- depth
- 3–15 m
who is the yellowbelly hamlet
The yellowbelly hamlet belongs to the family Serranidae and reaches 13 cm. It is solitary and lives on stone and coral reefs, from 3 to 15 m. It has two color forms: one with a brown back and a yellow belly, and another with a blue or dark back and a yellow belly. It feeds on crustaceans, mainly shrimp. It occurs in the Bahamas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago. 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 yellowbelly hamlet; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
It has two color forms. One has a brown back, a brown dorsal fin and yellow remaining fins. The other has blue or brown only on the upper part of the back, not reaching the midline. In both, the belly is yellow, which is the main trait. It differs from the yellowtail grouper, which is almost entirely dark with a bright yellow tail, and from the black grouper, which has no yellow belly.
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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 occurs in the Bahamas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago.
Habitat: Rocky and coral reefs, 3 to 15 m.
rules for the yellowbelly 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 aberrans (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 aberransNames by country and language.
