How do cleaner wrasse remove parasites from other fish?
Quick Answer
Cleaner wrasse set up cleaning stations where larger fish come to be picked clean. The wrasse eat parasites, dead skin, and mucus from the client fish.
The Full Story
Cleaner wrasse are small reef fish that specialize in removing parasites and dead tissue from larger fish. They operate at well-known cleaning stations, where many fish wait calmly to be serviced. The clients benefit by getting rid of pests, and the wrasse get a meal. This interaction can be surprisingly complex, because cleaner fish may sometimes cheat by nipping healthy mucus instead of just parasites. The behavior is a widely studied example of cooperation in nature.
Key Facts
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"The tiny fish that runs an underwater spa!"
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