Creature Feature – Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse
This week’s featured creature is the Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse.
This week on Creature Feature Friday we take a detailed look at the Bluestreak cleaner wrasse. A tropical fish with beautiful, distinct markings, this species, like other ‘cleaner wrasse’ species, consumes the dead scales and parasites present on other fish. The bluestreak species is the most common.
Taxonomy
Scientific Name: Labroides dimidiatus
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Labriformes
Family: Labridae
Genus: Labroides
Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse Fact File
Size: Individuals grow up to 14cm long and weigh up to 170g
Distribution: This species inhabits coral reefs in the tropics, from the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean all the way to the western Pacific. They are also spread out into Papua New Guinea, Japan, Fiji, and French Polynesia
Diet: They clean host fish so they may eat the ectoparasites. The degree to which they rely on this method as its main food supply varies. In tidal habitats such as the Great Barrier Reef, they feed on coral
Behaviour: This unique fish forms a symbiotic relationship with other species by setting up a “cleaning station” to remove unwanted parasites that may have attached themselves. They invite fish to their “cleaning station” by performing a calming up and down movement of their tails. These fish may even clean the inside of larger fish’s mouths and gills
IUCN Status: Least Concern. There are no major threats known for this species, although it is targeted for the aquarium trade and there are occurring coral habitat degradation in parts of its range
