Cleaner Fish: How They Keep Other Fish Healthy & Happy

The fish that clean other fishes by eating dead skin lice and fungi off their bodies are called "cleaner fish". Some of the well-known cleaner fish include:

1. Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus): This is a small, colorful wrasse found in coral reefs. It is known for its cleaning behavior and is often seen hovering near larger fish, waiting for an opportunity to clean them.

2. Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides bicolor): Similar to the cleaner wrasse, the bluestreak cleaner wrasse is also found in coral reefs and engages in cleaning behavior.

3. Neon Goby (Gobiosoma oceanops): This small goby is found in the Pacific Ocean and is known for its cleaning behavior. It often perches on rocks or corals, waiting for larger fish to approach for cleaning.

4. Blenny (Hypsoblennius gentilis): Blennies are small fish that are found in both tropical and temperate waters. Some blenny species, such as the scissortail blenny, exhibit cleaning behavior.

5. Tuskfish (Choerodon fasciatus): This wrasse-like fish is found in the Indo-Pacific region and is known for its cleaning behavior. It often forms cleaning stations where larger fish come to be cleaned.

Cleaner fish provide an important service to other fish by removing parasites, dead skin, and other debris from their bodies. This helps to keep the larger fish healthy and free from disease. In return, the cleaner fish receive food and protection from predators.