Propagation of Reef Fish
245
An important role of cleaning symbiosis was proved experimentally. On a
small reef all cleaners had been cleared out. Several days later the fish
started to leave the reef. Within 2 weeks most of the fish, except the strictly
territorial ones (living in nests or holes) abandoned this reef. Among the fish
that remained the percentage of ill specimens drastically increased. Cleaner
fish are introduced into big marine aquaria to preserve the good health of its
inhabitants. The ill fish spend at the "cleaners stations" as much time as
they spend in feeding, going there several times a day. At the stations lines
"of fish waiting for service" often occur and between the "clients" quarrels
break out (Feder 1966). It was discovered that good places for fishing on the
reef often happen to be precisely the cleaner stations, where many fish wait
for the cleaning procedure. So the cleaners could be considered a key
species in reef-fish communities. Without them their very existence would
be endangered.
The function of cleaners on Caribbean reefs is accomplished by the most
widespresd their species, the neon goby Elacantinus oceanops and the
wrasses Bodjanus rufus and Microspathodon chrysurus. On reefs of the
Indo-Pacific the most common cleaners are the wrasses Labroides
dimidiatus, L. phthirophascus and L. bicolor. They live in small groups of
three to ten specimens at the "stations", situated most often at the outer
reef slope near some remarkable element of the landscape. The cleaners
have a well detectable specific placard pattern which informs their "clients"
of their profession. This is usually comprised of while and blue stripes along
the greenish or dark-violet body. The cleaners swim near the "station"
doing special moves - "gestures" - inviting the clients. If their "client" is a
pelagic fish, it will float with its curled body in the water column, spread its
fins, and open wide its mouth. If it is a bottom fish, it stands on a stone, and
also opens its mouth and spreads its fins. The cleaners approach the client
and start to "work". One of them cleans the skin scales and fins, sometimes
attaching them to its body with the aid of a special sucker (neon goby).
Others swim into the mouth and clean the gills, taking off parasites and
gnawing swollen tissues. When the "client" feels satisfied, or when it is
endangered, it signals the cleaners to leave by clapping with its mouth a
couple of times. The "clients", though mostly predatory, never swallow the
cleaners; they have never been found in their stomachs (Randall 1967).
6.5 Propagation of Reef Fish
Above it was stated that the main strategy of the evolution of reef fish was a
fine specialization increasing the efficiency of making use of trophic
resources. But the progress of specialization inevitably leads to an increase
in species diversity and in the total number of species in the community,
245
An important role of cleaning symbiosis was proved experimentally. On a
small reef all cleaners had been cleared out. Several days later the fish
started to leave the reef. Within 2 weeks most of the fish, except the strictly
territorial ones (living in nests or holes) abandoned this reef. Among the fish
that remained the percentage of ill specimens drastically increased. Cleaner
fish are introduced into big marine aquaria to preserve the good health of its
inhabitants. The ill fish spend at the "cleaners stations" as much time as
they spend in feeding, going there several times a day. At the stations lines
"of fish waiting for service" often occur and between the "clients" quarrels
break out (Feder 1966). It was discovered that good places for fishing on the
reef often happen to be precisely the cleaner stations, where many fish wait
for the cleaning procedure. So the cleaners could be considered a key
species in reef-fish communities. Without them their very existence would
be endangered.
The function of cleaners on Caribbean reefs is accomplished by the most
widespresd their species, the neon goby Elacantinus oceanops and the
wrasses Bodjanus rufus and Microspathodon chrysurus. On reefs of the
Indo-Pacific the most common cleaners are the wrasses Labroides
dimidiatus, L. phthirophascus and L. bicolor. They live in small groups of
three to ten specimens at the "stations", situated most often at the outer
reef slope near some remarkable element of the landscape. The cleaners
have a well detectable specific placard pattern which informs their "clients"
of their profession. This is usually comprised of while and blue stripes along
the greenish or dark-violet body. The cleaners swim near the "station"
doing special moves - "gestures" - inviting the clients. If their "client" is a
pelagic fish, it will float with its curled body in the water column, spread its
fins, and open wide its mouth. If it is a bottom fish, it stands on a stone, and
also opens its mouth and spreads its fins. The cleaners approach the client
and start to "work". One of them cleans the skin scales and fins, sometimes
attaching them to its body with the aid of a special sucker (neon goby).
Others swim into the mouth and clean the gills, taking off parasites and
gnawing swollen tissues. When the "client" feels satisfied, or when it is
endangered, it signals the cleaners to leave by clapping with its mouth a
couple of times. The "clients", though mostly predatory, never swallow the
cleaners; they have never been found in their stomachs (Randall 1967).
6.5 Propagation of Reef Fish
Above it was stated that the main strategy of the evolution of reef fish was a
fine specialization increasing the efficiency of making use of trophic
resources. But the progress of specialization inevitably leads to an increase
in species diversity and in the total number of species in the community,