Golden hamlet
Scorpaenidae (Scorpionfishes)
Hypoplectrus gummigutta
0 to 100+ ft
The golden hamlet is similar in appearance to the shy hamlet, however it is solid yellow or gold, lacking the dark brown area on the body. There is often an irregularly shaped blue edged black spot on the snout. This fish grows to a length of 5 inches (13 cm). The golden hamlet's range includes south Florida, the Bahamas, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. It is generally uncommon but may be common in localized areas. It inhabits shallow reefs from 30-130 feet (10 - 40 m), where it establishes territories on reef tops. Although shy, divers can approach this fish slowly. It is interesting to note that some fish experts consider all of the hamlets to be the same species (H. unicolor), with the many different color phases representing regional variations. This theory helps explain the unique and limited geographic distribution of the various forms of hamlets.
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