Dipl. Biologe Phillip S Lobel, USA
Info
Hypoplectrus maya is a beautiful one that lives only from reefs in the lagoon of the barrier reef system of Belize.
The body of the perch is a solid deep blue iridescent, a little darker above the lateral line.
The pelvic, dorsal and anal fins are blue, only the pectoral fins are clear.
Etymology: The species name "maya" is meant to honor both the Mayan people of Belize and the author's daughter, Maya Rose Lobel.
Remarks: The Maya settlement was discovered in Belize in 1993 in the Pelican Cays. Prof. Phillip Lobel, Ph.D., identified the occurrence
documented from the South Water Marine Reserve area at Wee Wee Cay southward through the Pelican Cays and to the Sapodilla Cays at the southernmost edge of the Meso-American Barrier Reef (MABR).
The inner barrier reef system hosts several fish and other species that occur only or predominantly in the complex geography of man-groves and coral reefs We have not observed Hypoplectrus maya on the ocean side of the MABR or on Glovers and Lighthouse Atolls, however, a single specimen of Maya settlement was found and collected by B. Birmingham in 2010 on the ocean side of the MABR off Alligator Cay.
This specimen and tissue samples are in the Neotropical Fish Collection of the Smithsonian Tropical Research
Another similarly colored hamlet perch is Hypoplectrus gemma, which is characterized by dark upper and lower margins on the caudal fin.
The Florida blue hamlet, Hypoplectrus gemma, has been known only from Florida for many years.
Recently, it was found on the platform of Arrecife Alacranes atoll off the northern Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico
One hypothesis for the evolution of hamlet perch is that they aggressively mimic other fish, a possible model species for Hypoplectrus maya could be the damselfish Chromis cyanea, which occurs in the same habitat but is rare there.
Hypoplectrus maya is commonly found among mangrove roots growing over shallow seagrass beds.
Growing on the roots of many mangrove roots is the bright blue clubmoss Clavelina puertosecensis , which can be very conspicuous in this habitat.
The colors of H. maya and the tunicate are quite similar, and perhaps it is also possible that the Mayan Hamlet Bass has developed its body coloration against these tunicates.
This would be an advantage in attracting small prey for the perch.
H. maya has been observed on several occasions attacking small round herring (Jenkinsia lamprotaenia) that congregate among mangrove roots during the day.
H. maya is distinguished from its conspecifics by its deep blue iridescent color and lack of black margins on the fins.
The only other similarly colored perch is Hypoplectrus gemma, also blue, from Florida and Yucatán; it is distinguished by dark black upper and lower margins on the caudal fin.
We would like to express our special thanks to Prof. Dr. Phillip Lobel for the wonderful photos of the Belizean blue Hamlet perch.
The body of the perch is a solid deep blue iridescent, a little darker above the lateral line.
The pelvic, dorsal and anal fins are blue, only the pectoral fins are clear.
Etymology: The species name "maya" is meant to honor both the Mayan people of Belize and the author's daughter, Maya Rose Lobel.
Remarks: The Maya settlement was discovered in Belize in 1993 in the Pelican Cays. Prof. Phillip Lobel, Ph.D., identified the occurrence
documented from the South Water Marine Reserve area at Wee Wee Cay southward through the Pelican Cays and to the Sapodilla Cays at the southernmost edge of the Meso-American Barrier Reef (MABR).
The inner barrier reef system hosts several fish and other species that occur only or predominantly in the complex geography of man-groves and coral reefs We have not observed Hypoplectrus maya on the ocean side of the MABR or on Glovers and Lighthouse Atolls, however, a single specimen of Maya settlement was found and collected by B. Birmingham in 2010 on the ocean side of the MABR off Alligator Cay.
This specimen and tissue samples are in the Neotropical Fish Collection of the Smithsonian Tropical Research
Another similarly colored hamlet perch is Hypoplectrus gemma, which is characterized by dark upper and lower margins on the caudal fin.
The Florida blue hamlet, Hypoplectrus gemma, has been known only from Florida for many years.
Recently, it was found on the platform of Arrecife Alacranes atoll off the northern Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico
One hypothesis for the evolution of hamlet perch is that they aggressively mimic other fish, a possible model species for Hypoplectrus maya could be the damselfish Chromis cyanea, which occurs in the same habitat but is rare there.
Hypoplectrus maya is commonly found among mangrove roots growing over shallow seagrass beds.
Growing on the roots of many mangrove roots is the bright blue clubmoss Clavelina puertosecensis , which can be very conspicuous in this habitat.
The colors of H. maya and the tunicate are quite similar, and perhaps it is also possible that the Mayan Hamlet Bass has developed its body coloration against these tunicates.
This would be an advantage in attracting small prey for the perch.
H. maya has been observed on several occasions attacking small round herring (Jenkinsia lamprotaenia) that congregate among mangrove roots during the day.
H. maya is distinguished from its conspecifics by its deep blue iridescent color and lack of black margins on the fins.
The only other similarly colored perch is Hypoplectrus gemma, also blue, from Florida and Yucatán; it is distinguished by dark black upper and lower margins on the caudal fin.
We would like to express our special thanks to Prof. Dr. Phillip Lobel for the wonderful photos of the Belizean blue Hamlet perch.
