A research article published in the Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences has found that cleaner wrasses, Labroides dimidiatus, have the capacity for mirror self-recognition (MSR). Researchers tested the theory by using mirrors, as Cleaner wrasses attack unfamiliar conspecifics…
Aberrant Cleaner Wrasse From Philippines is Out of this World!
Wrasses are not a group of reef fish that don’t deviate from their template too much, but when they do it can be quite spectacular. Case in point is this aberrant cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus, fished up in the Philippines by…
Fluorescent Friday – Reef fish edition
Coral reefs are one of the most richly fluorescent ecosystems on the planet. When it comes to fluorescence, most of us reef aquarists tend to think of corals first, but many of the tropical reef fish in your tanks right…
5 Cleaner Wrasse Myths
The introduction of Labroides spp. cleaner wrasses to marine aquarium systems is generally ill-advised. Though some hobbyists report success in keeping these obligate cleaners long term, the vast majority of specimens entering the market are doomed to perish prematurely from…
Cleaner wrasses are vitally important to the health of reef fish
The five species of cleaner wrasses of the genus Labroides are truly an interesting group of fish. While not a unique behavior in the underwater world, their pathogenic cleaning service is quite remarkable. These small, busy fish set up ‘stations’…
Bali Aquarich floors us with captive-bred cleaner wrasses
Hobbyist have been chipping away at attempting to successfully breed the cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus, for years, with many well-documented captive spawns in Germany and the United States, yet nothing more came from those spawns. Then a 53-day success was reported in…
Male cleaner fish “punish” greedy females
When it comes to messing around with the meal ticket, it seems male fish are apt to punish greedy females who take more than they should putting the entire group’s food source in jeopardy. Cleaner fish, who get their meals…
Cleaner Wrasse caught spawning on video
Seeing a Labroides dimidiatus (cleaner wrasse) spawn on video is nothing sort of amazing. Andy has gotten his cleaner wrasse to do just that and has the video evidence to back it up. How did this happen? Andy gives us…
