The Reef’s Tiny Doctor
Cleaner Wrasse
Brightly coloured and barely the length of your finger, cleaner wrasses perform one of the reef’s most vital jobs—keeping their neighbours healthy, one nibble at a time.
Introduction
The Role Player We Can’t Afford to Lose
Cleaner wrasses may be small, but their impact is enormous. These devoted reef doctors remove parasites, dead skin, and infections from other fish—boosting the health of whole reef communities. Without them, reef life would be a lot itchier… and a lot less balanced.
Fun Fact
Cleaner wrasses have “clients”—bigger fish that line up and wait their turn for a clean!
Biology & Behaviour
Clinics on the Coral
Cleaner wrasses belong to the wrasse family (Labridae), and most are no longer than 10 cm. With their slender bodies and striking colours—blues, blacks, yellows—they’re instantly recognisable as reef service providers.
They set up “cleaning stations” on coral outcrops, where larger reef fish gather for regular parasite removal. The wrasse performs a careful inspection, then gently picks off parasites, dead tissue, or mucus.
This relationship is mutualistic—clients get cleaned, and wrasses get fed. Even predators like groupers, eels, and reef sharks tolerate the cleaner’s presence, sometimes hovering patiently while being groomed.
These fish also display ritualised dances to advertise their services, and some even remember individual clients. A reef without cleaner wrasse is like a town without doctors.
Conservation & Threats
Don’t Close the Clinic
Cleaner wrasses are not currently endangered, but they’re deeply affected by reef health and human activities:
Overcollection
for the aquarium trade
Coral reef degradation
reduces available habitat and client fish populations
Climate change & ocean acidification
affect coral structure and food chains
Losing cleaner wrasses can lead to a rise in parasites among reef fish, reducing overall reef health and biodiversity.
Did you know?
Cleaner wrasses are so trusted that moray eels let them clean inside their mouths—without snapping shut!
How Do They Connect the Ecosystem?
The Fish That Keep Others Healthy
Cleaner wrasses are reef health regulators. Their role in parasite removal and wound cleaning:
- Reduces disease across fish populations
- Improves fish survival, growth, and reproductive success
- Encourages social balance and cooperation across species
- Boosts reef resilience and biodiversity
They’re like doctors, dentists, and caretakers rolled into one. Their work keeps the whole reef community functioning.
Hope & Action
Protect the Cleaners
Preserving cleaner wrasses means protecting their home and their role. Actions include:
- Protecting coral reef habitats through marine reserves
- Regulating the aquarium trade to avoid wild depletion
- Sustainable fishery practices to protect reef biodiversity
- Educating the public about their invisible but vital job
Healthy reefs need their tiny doctors—and we need healthy reefs.
Species ID Card
Cleaner Wrasse
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