M. Henriques et Vc. Almada, RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF CLEANING BEHAVIOR IN CENTROLABRUS-EXOLETUS ANDOTHER WRASSE AT ARRABIDA, PORTUGAL, Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 77(3), 1997, pp. 891-898
Underwater behavioural observations were conducted to evaluate the rel
ative importance of cleaning behaviour in three species of common nort
h-eastern Atlantic wrasse (Teleostei: Labridae). At the study site, th
e only cleaner was Centrolabrus exoletus. A total of 12 species was cl
eaned, with the wrasse, Symphodus melops and Labrus bergylta being the
species most frequently cleaned. Neither S. melops nor Ctenolabrus ru
pestris, known to be cleaners in other sites or in captivity, could be
observed cleaning other fishes. Centrolabrus exoletus was found to be
a facultative cleaner fish with cleaning acts representing only 7% of
the observed feeding acts. In focal observations of host fishes, the
incidence of cleaning acts reached a level (11 h(-1) per host) similar
to that reported for tropical reef fishes and probably reflects the h
igh numbers of cleaners available. Some factors that may affect the or
igin of the cleaning interactions are discussed.