Feature Articles for Subscribing Members of CoralRealm.

Lean, Mean and Clean -
Elasmobranch/Cleaner Interactions

A number of reef fishes acquire nutrients by picking parasites, necrotic tissue, and mucous from the bodies and fins of other fishes. Divers usually observe these fishes picking at other bony fishes, but in recent years there have been numerous reports of sharks and rays acting as cleaner fish hosts. Representatives of the wrasse, butterflyfish, angelfish, goby, and discfish families are known to pick parasites off of elasmobranchs.

In this series of Coral Realm Feature Articles we will take a detailed look at the relationships between cleaner fishes/crustaceans and elasmobranchs.

Topics include:

• Introduction to Shark and Ray Cleaners
• Cleaning Strategies
• Reef-associated Cleaners (seven different bony fish groups)
• Nomadic Cleaners: Diskfishes
• Nomadic Cleaners: Jacks
• Invertebrate Cleaners
• References
• 14 Photos of "Cleaners" and "Cleanies"

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