Teleostei (teleosts) >
Perciformes/Serranoidei (Groupers) >
Serranidae (Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets)
Etymology: Hypoplectrus: Greek, hypo = under + Greek, plektron = sting, spur (Ref. 45335); maya: Named with the dual purpose to honor the Maya people of Belize and the author’s
daughter, Maya Rose Lobel.
Eponymy: Maya Rose Lobel is the daughter of the author, Phillip Lobel (q.v.). He wrote that the binomial had a “dual purpose” in honouring both his daughter and “the Maya people of Belize.” (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated. Tropical
Caribbean Sea: Pelican Cays, Belize (Ref. 88139).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 8.7 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 88139)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14 - 15; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 6 - 7; Vertebrae: 23. This species is distinguished from its congeners by the solid deep iridescent blue color and lack of black margins on fins. It is similarly colored as the blue hamlet, H. gemma, from Florida and the Yucatan; it is only distinguished by having dark black upper and lower margins on the caudal fin (Ref. 88139).
This species is often found among the mangrove roots that grow over shallow seagrass
beds. The colors of H. maya and the tunicate, Clavelina puerto-secensis, (growing on mangrove roots) are quite similar and perhaps this hamlet has evolved camouflage coloration against this tunicate. It has also been observed on several occasions that this species attacks small silversides (Jenkinsia lamprotaenia) which form diurnal aggregations among the mangrove roots (Ref. 88139).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Lobel, P.S., 2011. A review of the Caribbean hamlets (Serranidae, Hypoplectrus) with description of two new species. Zootaxa 3096:1-17. (Ref. 88139)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Endangered (EN) (B1ab(i,ii,iii)+2ab(i,ii,iii)); Date assessed: 07 January 2020
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01778 (0.00683 - 0.04629), b=3.03 (2.80 - 3.26), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.7 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
