All fish / Labridae

Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse

Labroides dimidiatus

Also known as cleaner wrasse, common cleaner wrasse, bluestreak cleaner, blue streak cleaner wrasse, cleaner fish, yes, ปลาพยาบาล, ホンソメワケベラ, ikan dokter, ikan pembersih, 裂唇鱼, 医生鱼

A slim wrasse with a bold black stripe running from snout to tail, set against a body that shades from white or pale yellow at the front to bright blue at the rear. It is famous for running cleaning stations on reefs, where it picks parasites off larger fish, and aquarists buy it for this behaviour.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

10 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a mated pair

Diet

Carnivore: in the wild eats parasites and mucus from other fish; in aquaria needs frequent meaty foods such as mysis, enriched brine shrimp and finely chopped seafood

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 6 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to the Line Islands, Japan and Australia

Breeding

It is a protogynous hermaphrodite, living in harems where the dominant female can change into a male, and pairs spawn pelagic eggs at dusk. Captive breeding is rare and the larvae are very difficult to rear, though a few commercial successes have been reported.

Good to know

Most wild-caught specimens starve in home tanks because they cannot get enough parasites, so many aquarists and conservation groups advise against buying them; only experienced keepers with large, heavily stocked systems should try. The predatory sabre-toothed blenny Aspidontus taeniatus mimics this fish closely, so check the mouth position before buying.