ANIMAL SPECIES:Striped Cleaner Wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus (Valenciennes, 1839)
The Striped Cleaner Wrasse is blue to yellow above fading to white or yellow below. There is a black stripe from the eye to the caudal fin margin. The stripe widens posteriorly. It has thick lips and a pair of canines at the front of both jaws.
Identification
The Striped Cleaner Wrasse is blue to yellow above fading to white or yellow below. There is a black stripe from the eye to the caudal fin margin. The stripe widens posteriorly.
It has thick lips and a pair of canines at the front of both jaws.
Size range
The species grows to 11.5 cm in length.Distribution
The Striped Cleaner Wrasse occurs in tropical (and some temperate) marine waters of the Indo-Pacific.
In Australia it is recorded from southern to north-western Western Australia and from northern Queensland to southern New South Wales.
Habitat
The Striped Cleaner Wrasse occurs on rocky and coral reefs.
Behaviour and adaptations
Feeding and Diet
The Striped Cleaner Wrasse is well known for its feeding behaviour. It establishes a "cleaning station" often a cave or overhang, where it swims in a bobbing, dance-like motion. Larger fishes come to the cleaning station to have ectoparasites removed. The Striped Cleaner Wrasse swims around the fish picking off and eating the parasites. It often enters the mouth and gill chamber of large fishes.
Classification
- Species:
- dimidiatus
- Genus:
- Labroides
- Family:
- Labridae
- Class:
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum:
- Vertebrata
- Phylum:
- Chordata
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
References
- Grutter, A.S., Deveney, M.R., Whittington, I.D. & R.J.G.Lester. 2002. The effect of the cleaner fish Labroides dimidiatus on the capsalid monogenean Benedenia lolo parasite of the labrid fish Hemigymnus melapterus. Journal of Fish Biology. 61: 1098-1108.
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
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Two Striped Cleaner Wrasses cleaning a monocle bream View full size
Erik Schlögl
© Erik Schlögl
Striped Cleaner Wrasse cleaning the gills of a Black-spot Goatfish View full size
Ian Shaw
© Ian Shaw
Black-tipped Bullseye being cleaned by a Striped Cleaner Wrasse View full size
Erik Schlögl
© Erik Schlögl
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