Description

The Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides Dimidiatus), is one of several species of Cleaner Wrasses found on coral reefs from Eastern Africa and the Red Sea to French Polynesia. Like other Cleaner Wrasses, it eats parasites and dead tissue off larger fishes’ skin in a ritualistic relationship that provides food and protection for the Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse, and considerable health benefits for the other fishes.

Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse are usually found at cleaning stations. Cleaning stations are occupied by different units of Cleaner Wrasses, such as a group of youths, a pair of adults, or a group of females accompanied by a dominant male. When visitors come near the cleaning stations, the Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasses and other Wrasses greet the visitors by performing a dance-like motion in which they move their rear up and down. The visitors are referred to as “clients”. Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasses clean to consume ectoparasites on client fish for food. The bigger fish recognize them as cleaner fish because they have a lateral stripe along the length of their bodies.