TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-likes)
Family: Labridae (Wrasses)

Genus/species: Labroides dimidiatu

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Length to 11.5 cm (4.5 inches). Elongate body, tubular mouth. Blue to yellow above fading to white or yellow below. There is a black stripe from the eye to the caudal fin margin. The stripe widens posteriorly.

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Indo-Pacific in virtually all coral reef habitats: inner lagoons and subtidal reef flats to seaward reefs, 0.5-40 m (18 in to 125 ft), typically near branching corals. Active diurnally. Aggressively territorial. Nocturnally retires to small crevices in the reef, enclosing itself in a mucus cocoon. Remains in stations where other fish come to be cleaned.

DIET: The most common cleaner wrasse on reefs. Pick external parasites from other fishes. Also clean the wounds of other fishes by removing scar tissue. Clean the gills and even enter the mouth of the host.

REPRODUCTION: Monogamous. A protogynous hermaphrodite.
Open water/substratum egg scatterers, non guarders.

CONSERVATION: IUCN, Least concern

Cleaner Wrasse13298334135_9737aa3d26_b

Philippine Coral Reef PR04

flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/sets/72157608208133134/with/2977676226/

WordPress Shortlink http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-Kp

fishbase fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?ID=5459

EOL eol.org/pages/204814/details

Australia Museum  australianmuseum.net.au/Common-Cleanerfish-Labroides-dimi…