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Cleaning interactions between the cleaner wrasse Symphodus melanocercus (Osteichthyes: Labridae) and brown meagre Sciaena umbra (Osteichthyes: Sciaenidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 February 2017

Daniele Ventura ,
Leonardo Francisco Machado ,
Andrea Bonifazi ,
Maria Flavia Gravina  and
Giandomenico Ardizzone
Daniele Ventura*
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Biology, University of Rome ‘la Sapienza’-V. le dell'Università 32, 00185 Rome, Italy
Leonardo Francisco Machado
Affiliation:
Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Biociências de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista – UNESP, 18618-000 Botucatu, SP, Brazil
Andrea Bonifazi
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Experimental Ecology and Aquaculture, Tor Vergata University, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
Maria Flavia Gravina
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Experimental Ecology and Aquaculture, Tor Vergata University, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
Giandomenico Ardizzone
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Biology, University of Rome ‘la Sapienza’-V. le dell'Università 32, 00185 Rome, Italy
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: D. Ventura Department of Environmental Biology, University of Rome ‘la Sapienza’-V. le dell'Università 32, 00185 Rome, Italy email: daniele.ventura@uniroma1.it
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Abstract

Cleaning interactions between the wrasse Symphodus melanocercus and brown meagre Sciaena umbra are documented from observations whilst free diving on a shallow rocky reef in the central Mediterranean Sea. Cleaning events occurred at cleaning stations mainly during the morning and gradually decreased in the evening. The body parts mostly cleaned were the opercular region and the fins, possibly as gnathiid isopods preferentially attach to these areas.

Keywords

Cleaning interactioncentral Mediterranean SeaGiglio Islandlabridsciaenidectoparasiteisopodunderwater observationsbehaviourmicrohabitats
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 98 , Issue 4 , June 2018 , pp. 829 - 831
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2017 

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