Interactions of coral reef cleaner species in the Mexican Caribbean
The cleaning symbiosis in coral reef fish is one of the most remarkable mutualist marine interactions; the main actors are cleaner and client fishes, that communicate via tactile and visual stimulation, and the specific sites where this interaction happens are called cleaning stations. The removal o...
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Veröffentlicht in: | Environmental biology of fishes 2023-09, Vol.106 (9), p.1831-1850 |
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Format: | Artikel |
Sprache: | eng |
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Zusammenfassung: | The cleaning symbiosis in coral reef fish is one of the most remarkable mutualist marine interactions; the main actors are cleaner and client fishes, that communicate via tactile and visual stimulation, and the specific sites where this interaction happens are called cleaning stations. The removal of ectoparasites is a contribution to the health of clients, which may have an important role as herbivores or carnivores, and therefore also a contribution for a healthy ecosystem. The aim of this work was to identify the cleaning interaction as an indicator of reef health in the center-south of the Mexican Caribbean. Hence, we located and described the cleaning stations and the attributes of cleaner and client fishes for three climatic seasons in four locations with different degrees of conservation (i.e., time since declaration as protected areas), in the biosphere reserves of Sian Ka’an and Mexican Caribbean. Bluehead
Thalassoma bifasciatum
was the dominant cleaner fish in the dry and north-wind seasons, and it interacted with 27 species of client fishes year-round. The frequency of client fishes changes with the seasons; parrotfishes are the favorite clients in the dry season, and surgeonfishes for the north-wind season. We recorded for the first time high-hat
Pareques acuminatus
acting as a cleaner. Cleaning stations are more numerous in Mahahual, the location with the highest human impact; however, the higher structural complexity and area of this reef can explain the observed diversity of the client and cleaner species. |
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ISSN: | 0378-1909 1573-5133 |
DOI: | 10.1007/s10641-023-01459-1 |