''Hypoplectrus gummigutta'', commonly called the golden hamlet, is a species of marine

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fish or actinopterygians, is a class of bony fish that comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. They are so called because of their lightly built fins made of webbings of sk ...

. They are sea bass from the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...

Serraninae The Serraninae is a subfamily of perciform ray-finned fishes in the family Serranidae. It is made up of ten genera and 87 species. Characteristics The fishes in the subfamily Serraninae, the serranines, are small species within the family Serran ...

and the greater

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Serranidae Serranidae is a large family (biology), family of fishes belonging to the order Perciformes. The family contains about 450 species in 65 genera, including the sea basses and the groupers (subfamily Epinephelinae). Although many species are small, ...

, which also includes the

grouper Groupers are a diverse group of marine ray-finned fish in the family Epinephelidae, in the order Perciformes. Groupers were long considered a subfamily of the seabasses in Serranidae, but are now treated as distinct. Not all members of this f ...

s and

anthias Anthias are members of the family Anthiadidae in the order Perciformes. The group has also been called Anthiidae or Anthiinae, but these names are preoccupied by a subfamily of ground beetles in the family Carabidae erected by Bonelli in 1813 ...

. The golden hamlet was first described in 1852 by zoologist

Felipe Poey Felipe Poey (May 26, 1799 – January 28, 1891) was a Cuban zoologist. Biography Poey was born in Havana, the son of French and Spanish parents. He spent several years (1804 to 1807) of his life in Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Pau then studied ...

(1799-1891) as ''Plectropoma gummigutta'' before being given its accepted name: ''Hypoplectrus gummigutta.'' It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean and occasionally makes its way into the

aquarium An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquati ...

trade.

Description

The golden hamlet is morphologically similar to all other hamlets. It has a laterally compressed head with a short snout and a straight forehead. The single dorsal fin has 14–17 rays. It has long pelvic fins and a slightly forked caudal fin. The head, body, and fins are golden-yellow. On the head, there are typically one or more possibly large dark spots bordered by iridescent blue.Domeier, Michael L. Speciation in the serranid fish Hypoplectrus (Publication No. 9239654) octoral Dissertation, University of MiamiProQuest Dissertations Publishing. Sometimes their back is colored grey. The species has a maximum recorded length of 13.2 centimeters (5.20 in).

Distribution

Hamlets are tropical fish found only in the western Atlantic Ocean, specifically in the Caribbean, off the coast of Brazil, and in the Gulf of Mexico. ''H. gummigutta'', however, does not have as wide of a distribution as the rest of its genus. In one study, they were shown to be one of the least widely distributed species of the genus. ''H. gummigutta'' were once thought to be absent from Mexico and rare in the Dominican Republic, though this has been disproven. Rather, they are rare in Puerto Rico and Mexico, but relatively common in the Dominican Republic. As a whole, they are rarely found east of the

Mona Passage The Mona Passage () is a strait that separates the islands of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. The Mona Passage connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean Sea and is an important shipping route between the Atlantic and the Panama Canal. The Mona Pas ...

, which cuts across the space between Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

Habitat

''Hypoplectrus gummigutta'' are tropical coral reef fish not found outside the western Atlantic Ocean. They tend to stay close to the bottom and may hide in crevices when not swimming. Though similar in many ways to the other members of the ''Hypoplectrus'' genus, ''H. gummigutta'' differs in that they are found at greater depths than other hamlets, sometimes at more than 25 meters (82 ft).

Diet

Golden hamlets are predatory carnivores with a diet similar to other hamlets, consisting of small reef-dwelling fishes and invertebrates. Crustaceans, such as shrimp and crabs, make up most of their diet.

Reproduction

''H. gummigutta'', like the other members of the ''Hypoplectrus'' genus, are simultaneous

hermaphrodite A hermaphrodite () is a sexually reproducing organism that produces both male and female gametes. Animal species in which individuals are either male or female are gonochoric, which is the opposite of hermaphroditic. The individuals of many ...

s. They simultaneously have both male and female sex organs and produce both sperm and eggs. However, they do not self-fertilize, like some other simultaneous hermaphrodites. Instead, they mate by pairing with another ''H. gummigutta'' and switching between the male and female role. To initiate a mating, one hamlet assumes the female role and advertises its eggs, offering them up for fertilization in exchange for the chance to fertilize another's eggs. This phenomenon is known as egg-trading. The two hamlets alternate roles several times, releasing their eggs gradually to ensure reciprocal fertilization. This courtship is somewhat dance-like and lasts around an hour. Hamlets spawn daily in the late afternoon, just before sunset. ''H. gummigutta'' displays no parental care; fertilization is external and takes place after eggs are released into the water, where they disperse and grow into larvae. Larvae are

plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms that drift in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) but are unable to actively propel themselves against ocean current, currents (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are ca ...

ic. Golden hamlets exhibit color-assortative mating, choosing to mate primarily with those of the same species, as demarcated by color pattern. Despite mating preference, no reproductive barrier exists between different species of hamlets mating. Hamlet hybridization is not common, but does occasionally occur, resulting in an offspring with a color pattern between those of its parents. It has been hypothesized that hybridization of the golden and black hamlets generated the shy, yellowbelly, and yellowtail hamlets. However, there is currently no evidence for this, and it is considered very unlikely.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2272333 gummigutta Fish of the Atlantic Ocean Fish of the Dominican Republic Taxa named by Felipe Poey Fish described in 1851