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When cleanerfish become anemonefish

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 August 2006

Michael Arvedlund
Affiliation:
University of the Ryukyus, Sesoko Station, Sesoko 3422, Motobu, Okinawa 905-0227, Japan Raadmand Steins Allé 16A, 208, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark
Akihisa Hattori
Affiliation:
Faculty of Liberal Arts and Education, Shiga University, 2-5-1 Hiratsu, Otsu, Shiga 520-0862, Japan
Kenji Iwao
Affiliation:
Akajima Marine Station Laboratory, 179 Aka Zamami-son, Shimajiri-gun, Okinawa 901-3111, Japan
Akihiro Takemura
Affiliation:
University of the Ryukyus, Sesoko Station, Sesoko 3422, Motobu, Okinawa 905-0227, Japan

Abstract

Here we report on a previously undocumented facultative symbiosis involving the wrasses Labroides dimidiatus and Thallasoma amblycephalum living in association with two species of sea anemones, on coral reefs in the north-western Pacific. By SCUBA diving we observed juvenile L. dimidiatus occurring in Entacmaea quadricolor (solitary type) cleaning the anemonefish Amphiprion frenatus and in Heteractis magnifica cleaning the anemonefish Dascyllus trimaculatus. Thallasoma amblycephalum co-existed in H. magnifica with the anemonefish D. trimaculatus, A. ocellaris and L. dimidiatus.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
2006 Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

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