Appearance and lifestyle:
Bluestreak cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) are small, slender fish with a pale body, a bright blue stripe, and a black horizontal line running from the snout to the tail. They are active on coral reefs and are best known for providing a cleaning service to larger fish. Visiting “client” fish may open their mouths and flare their gill covers, allowing the wrasse to remove parasites and dead tissue.
Males are territorial and may maintain a cleaning station with several females. If the male dies or is removed, the dominant female can change sex and become the new male within two to four days.
A small blenny, the false cleaner fish (Aspidontus taeniatus), mimics the bluestreak cleaner wrasse. Instead of cleaning, it bites its “clients”, typically nipping at fins and scales.
Habitat:
Indo-pacific coral reefs.
Diet:
They feed mainly on parasites and mucus from their “clients” and may also pick at small pieces of dead skin.
Threats:
Localised overcollection for the aquarium trade, habitat degradation, and pollution.