DIFFERENT RESPONSES OF INSHORE FISHES TO THE CLEANING WRASSE, LABROIDES DIMIDIATUS, AS OBSERVED IN SIRAHAMA

Abstract

The inshore fishes of Sirahama were studied, particularly in relation to their responses to the cleaner Labroides dimidiatus, common and the only habitual and obligate cleaner at the study area, in the years from 1972 to 1975. According to their responses to the cleaner, inshore fishes can be distinguished into two categories: 'posing species' which display a pose to it and 'non-posing species' which do not exhibit any pose. It was found that most of the fishes dwelling near the cleaner are the posing species, while the fishes dwelling apart from it are mostly the non-posing. The cleaner cleaned any species, whether posing or non-posing, dwelling near to it. There is a rather extensive range in the attitude to be cleaned either among posing species or among non-posing ones, according to their modes of life. From these facts, it was suggested that posing behavior of host fishes has been developed through their daily contacts with the cleaner in their course of evolution only when cleaning has been significant for their life. Further, the importance of examining how cleaning symbiosis is prevailing among the members of the fish community within a definite area, i.e. how many posing species are found among them, was suggested.