Cleaner Wrasse(Labroides Dimidiatus)
The cleaner wrasse, also known as the bluestreak cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus), is a small, slender fish, typically 4 inches long, with a distinctive blue body and a broad, black stripe running from snout to tail. They are known for their symbiotic cleaning behavior, where they remove parasites and dead skin from other fish. Cleaner wrasses are found in coral and rocky reef habitats in the Indo-Pacific region.
Physical Description:
- Shape: Elongated and compressed body with a pointed snout.
- Coloration: Adults are brilliant blue with a broad, black stripe that widens towards the tail. Juveniles are predominantly black with a blue stripe.
- Size: Typically reach about 4 inches in length.
- Fins: Rounded caudal fin, dorsal fin with 9 spines and 9-11 rays, and anal fin with 2-3 spines and 9-10 rays.
- Scales: Very small scales, and the head is normally scaleless.