I’m the small dude who feeds on your parasites and dead tissues.
By feeding on parasites and dead tissues of larger fishes, the cleaner wrasse provide them with health benefits, in return for a hearty meal. These fish also set up ‘cleaning stations’ where aquatic creatures congregate and wait their turn to be cleaned – just like how our cars get washed at petrol stations! ‘Clients’ would usually open their mouths or position their bodies to signal that they need cleaning.
Did you know?
There is usually only one male in a group of wrasses. If the male dies, the dominant or largest female simply changes its gender to become a male. Bizarrely interesting, isn’t it?