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’…
