Temporal Variation in Cleanerfish and Client Behaviour: Does It Reflect Ectoparasite Availability?

Abstract

We tested the importance of ectoparasites as the proximate cause of cleaning interactions by comparing the activity of Caribbean cleaning gobies (Elacatinus evelynae) and of their clients during three daily periods (early morning, midday, and late afternoon) in which ectoparasite availability varied naturally. Emergence from the benthos of gnathiid isopod larvae, the main target of cleaning goby predation, was higher at night, when cleaners were inactive, than during the day. As a result, overall ectoparasite loads on client fish tended to be higher in the morning. Inspection bouts by cleaning gobies were longest in the morning, but also at midday when ectoparasite availability on clients was lower. Client fish were observed at cleaning stations most often in the afternoon, when they harboured few ectoparasites, but they were more likely to adopt incitation poses, which increase the likelihood of being cleaned, in the morning than later in the day. Most cleaner and client behaviours therefore did not change predictably in response to natural diurnal variation in ectoparasite availability. Our study suggests that the ultimate and proximate causes of cleaning behaviour need not necessarily coincide.

Temporal patterns of Pederson shrimp (Ancylomenes pedersoni Chace 1958) cleaning interactions on Caribbean coral reefs

“…A more detailed study of cleaning patterns at shrimp stations at night may provide additional insight into these factors. Additionally, this study was conducted on Western Caribbean reefs, whereas much of the work on the temporal patterns of goby cleaning interactions was conducted in the Eastern Caribbean (e.g., Arnal et al , 2001Côté and Molloy 2003;Cheney and Côté 2005;Soares et al 2007;Soares et al 2008a, b). One limitation of this study is that we did not directly compare temporal variation patterns of goby cleaning rates at the same sites.…”

“…Of all organisms exhibiting cleaning behavior, cleaner fish have been studied most extensively (e.g., Johnson and Ruben 1988;Grutter 1999a;Arnal et al , 2001Bshary 2001;Bshary and Wurth 2001;Grutter 2001;Whiteman and Côté 2002;Côté and Molloy 2003;Grutter 2004;Sikkel et al 2004;Soares et al 2007;Bshary et al 2008;Côté and Soares 2011;Soares et al 2011;Gingins et al 2013Gingins and Bshary 2015). On Caribbean coral reefs, the most common cleaner fish are gobies of the genus Elacatinus; these are obligate cleaners of other species of fish (Sikkel et al 2004).…”

“…On Caribbean coral reefs, the most common cleaner fish are gobies of the genus Elacatinus; these are obligate cleaners of other species of fish (Sikkel et al 2004). These gobies occupy discreet microhabitats (e.g., coral heads and sponges) that serve as cleaning stations and provide daily cleaning services to dozens of species (Johnson and Ruben 1988;Arnal et al , 2001Whiteman and Côté 2002;Côté and Molloy 2003;Soares et al 2007;Côté and Soares 2011). The primary ectoparasite targets of these gobies are gnathiid isopod crustaceans that temporarily attach to client fish Arnal et al 2001;Soares et al 2008aSoares et al , 2010.…”

“…Gnathiid parasite load peaks pre-dawn and gradually decreases throughout the day as gnathiids are removed by cleaner organisms or detach and return to the benthos to molt (Grutter 1996(Grutter , 1999aSmit and Davies 2004;Sikkel et al 2006). Consequently, at cleaner goby stations, the rate and duration of visitation by client fish also peaks at dawn (Sazima et al 2000;Arnal et al 2001;Côté and Molloy 2003;Sikkel et al 2004;Campos and Sa-Oliveira 2011), leading to clearly defined temporal variation in cleaning station usage by clients.…”

“…Reported visitation rates are greater at cleaner fish stations (Johnson and Ruben 1988;Wicksten 1995Wicksten , 1998Côté and Molloy 2003;Huebner and Chadwick 2012a), whereas average cleaning duration is greater at cleaner shrimp stations (Johnson and Ruben 1988;Huebner and Chadwick 2012a). Some of these differences could be attributed to geographic habitat variation, as not all reefs will have the same client diversity or harbor the same abundance of ectoparasites.…”