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Originally Posted by Bob_I
This should keep the thread going.  |
Ya got that right!
When it comes to the Cleaner Wrasse (
Labroides dimidiatus), I think it's more than just providing nutrients within foods that the fish will accept. I think it's also more than providing nutrients from the parasites of other fishes. So, in short, it's more than providing nutrition. Period.
There is a social dynamic going on between the Cleaner Wrasse and the fishes it tends to. I'm not so sure that only one or two hosts to the Cleaner Wrasse can fulfill the social demands of the fish.
To qoute Scott W. Michael from "Marine Fishes", on the Cleaner Wrasse..."....this species will fare poorly unless kept with a
large community of fishes from which it can browse mucus and parasites".
In the wild, I'm sure there is an element of trust between the Cleaner and it's hosts. Something along the lines of "I won't eat you, heck I may even protect you, if you clean these damn bugs off me".
This probably goes on all day long, with the Cleaner having numerous hosts.
Put a Cleaner in an aquarium with, say, two potential hosts and the Cleaner has them both spit polished in a day or two, with maybe only the odd parasite to nibble on from then on.
So now this full time worker is all of a sudden barely part time and probably feeling a tad inadequate and maybe even feeling vulnerable because the trust element isn't as strong.
Over a short period, the fish just says "I can't take this anymore. I need to Clean fish on a regular basis so that I can get my sense of security back." But of course that doesn't happen and the fish dies.
JMHO.
Cheers,