Atlantic mutton hamlet
(Alphestes afer)
Classification
Species:
Alphestes afer
Genus:
Alphestes
Family: Epinephelidae - Groupers
Order: Perciformes - Perches
Superclass: Osteichthyes - Bony fishes
General data
Scientific names:
Atlantic mutton hamlet
Local names:
Mutton hamlet
Habitat:
Saltwater
Climates:
Tropical, Subtropical
A solitary species occurring in seagrass habitats. Sedentary during the day, hiding in crevices or lying among seaweed, sometimes partly covering itself with sand while lying on its side. Nocturnal feeders of benthic crustaceans.
Western Atlantic: Bermuda, south Florida (USA), Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, Cuba, West Indies, Panama, Venezuela, and southward to the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
Max length : 33 cm TL