Barred hamlet

Today in honor of Mardi Gras, fat Tuesday, Carnival, or whatever you might call the celebration, I am featuring a fish that always looks decorated for a parade, the barred hamlet.  Hamlets are in the same family as sea basses.  The barred hamlet is on the small side, not growing longer that 6 inches.  The fish in today's photos were 4 or 5 inches long, and the photos were taken at 35 feet or less.

Here's a fish with bling: a mask and bright blue lines on its head that look like face painting.