Species: Hypoplectrus indigo, Indigo Hamlet

Hypoplectrus indigo (Poey, 1851)

Indigo Hamlet

Head and body deep, strongly compressed; forehead straight; snout relatively short; top jaw protrusible; rear of top jaw exposed when mouth closed, without accessory bone above it; teeth fixed; preoperculum angular, serrated, several small forward pointing spines on lower edge near the corner; gill rakers 17-23; dorsal fin X, 14-17, no notch after spines, membranes between spines not indented; pelvics long, reach to or beyond anus; tail fin slightly forked; lateral line scales 48-53; soft dorsal and anal fins mostly scaleless.

Background is pale blue to whitish; dark blue-black bars under eye, across edge of operculum, 5 on body from nape to tail base; dorsal, tail, anal and pelvic fins bluish to grey; pectorals clear.

Reaches 16.1 cm.

Lives on reefs.

Depth range: 3-54 m.

The Bahamas through the Caribbean.