Atlantic mutton hamlet (Alphestes afer)

General data
- Main name: Atlantic mutton hamlet
- Local names: Mutton hamlet
- Climates: Tropical, Subtropical
- Habitat: Saltwater
- Native: North America, South America
- Distribution: Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea
Classification
- Genus: Alphestes - Alphestes
- Family: Epinephelidae - Groupers
- Order: Perciformes - Perches
- Class: Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes
- Superclass: Osteichthyes - Bony fishes
Description
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