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Bad lucks (Hypoplectrus unicolor) — Serranidae

Bad lucks

Hypoplectrus unicolor
Family: Serranidae
LC · Least Concern

The Bad lucks (Hypoplectrus unicolor) is a saltwater fish of the family Serranidae that grows up to 13 cm.

Length
12.7 cm
Water
Saltwater
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The butter hamlet is a small reef bass of the family Serranidae from the western Atlantic and Caribbean. The species grows to about 13 cm and has a deep, pale-grey to butter-yellow body with a dark spot on the tail base. It inhabits coral reefs, where it hunts small fishes and crustaceans as an ambush predator. Hamlets are simultaneous hermaphrodites: each individual has both male and female gonads at once, and partners take turns swapping roles during spawning. The butter hamlet is reared in captivity and is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Bad lucks?

The Bad lucks has a flattened, disc-shaped body, is mainly yellow-gold and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Bad lucks live?

The Bad lucks lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Bad lucks get?

The Bad lucks grows to a maximum of about 13 cm.

Is the Bad lucks dangerous to humans?

No, the Bad lucks is harmless to humans.

Is the Bad lucks edible?

The Bad lucks is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Zeebaars sourced
English name
Bad lucks verified
Scientific name
Hypoplectrus unicolor
Family
Serranidae
Other names
Butter hamlet verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
12.7 verified
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Yellow / gold inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Straight inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Simultaneous hermaphrodite sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Hypoplectrus

More from the family Serranidae

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