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Illustration of Jarocho hamlet
fishing forecast

jarocho hamlet

Hypoplectrus atlahua · full profile

location

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period

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the species

everything about the jarocho hamlet

how to recognize it

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.

Also called: badejo-jarocho, vaquita jarocha, jarocho hamlet

don't confuse with:

We don't have tips on season, bait or technique for this species yet.

Where to look: Shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, 1 to 20 m.

In Latin America it is native to Mexico, in the Gulf of Mexico.

rules for the jarocho hamlet

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.

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

estimated weight

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how we calculate

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%.

more about 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.

Family: Serranidae · predator

similar species

sources and references (2)

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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Hypoplectrus atlahua (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Hypoplectrus atlahuaNames by country and language.