Cleaning station
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It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Cleaner fish. (Discuss) |
A cleaning station is a location where fish, and other marine life, congregate to be cleaned.
The cleaning process includes the removal of parasites from the animal's body (both externally and internally), and can be performed by various creatures (including cleaner shrimp and numerous species of cleaner fish, especially wrasses and gobies).
When the fish approaches a cleaning station they will pose in an 'unnatural' way to show the cleaner fish that they want to be cleaned and pose no threat, this can be pointing in a strange direction and/or opening the mouth wide. The cleaner fish will then eat the parasites directly from the skin of the cleaned fish. It will even swim into the mouth and gills of the fish to be cleaned.
Cleaning stations are often associated with coral features, located either on top of a coral head or in a slot between two outcroppings.
[edit] References
- Animal Communication Networks, Page 525, By Peter K. McGregor, Published by Cambridge University Press
[edit] Gallery
 A parrotfish is being cleaned by Rainbow cleaner Wrasses, Labroides phthirophagus Photograped in 2005 at Hawaii |
 A parrotfish is being cleaned by Rainbow cleaner Wrasses, Labroides phthirophagus Photograped in 2005 at Hawaii |
 A Needlefish is being cleaned by Rainbow cleaner Wrasses, Labroides phthirophagus |
 A Needlefish is being cleaned by Rainbow cleaner Wrasses, Labroides phthirophagus |
 Rainbow cleaner Wrasses, Labroides phthirophagus is inside a gill of pufferfish |
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