Cleaner Wrasse
Labroides dimidiatus
Sighting evidence at Te Namo Lagoon, Tuvalu
Photo: Hickson Fergusson · © all rights reserved
Cleaner wrasse operate permanent cleaning stations on the lagoon bommies, advertising their services with a distinctive undulating dance that signals safety to visiting fish who suspend normal predator-avoidance to present themselves for parasite removal. The ecological importance of these tiny fish is immense — experimental removal of cleaner wrasse from reefs causes rapid declines in fish health, diversity, and abundance, demonstrating that cleaning stations underpin the entire reef fish community.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Cleaner Wrasse is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.