WATERY WEDNESDAY # 6

WATERY WEDNESDAY #6

It’s another Watery Wednesday and we’ve found a very helpful little fish living in the coral reefs.  They love to eat things that are not good for other fish! What a great guy! Come meet the…

MEET THE CLEANER WRASSE!

Range/Habitat: Indo-pacific oceans/coral reefs

Diet: Carnivore: parasites and zooplankton (tiny small animals)

Length: up to 4 ½”

Conservation Status: Common

Fun Facts:

• Cleaner Wrasse are very important part of a coral reef community.
• They eat parasites off of other fish.
• Cleaning stations are maintained by one to two fish (both females) or a male and two females. Other fish (also called “clients) come to the stations and have the wrasse eat the parasites.
• You’ll often see the wrasse eating out of the mouths of other fish or out of the gills.
• Cleaner wrasse sleep in rocks and crevices of the coral.

Can you imagine if you had to have a little fish help keep you clean while you took a bath? We bet it would probably tickle!