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The Cleaning Station I SL278545

The Cleaning Station I SL278545

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Vivid pink pygmy basslets school around a large Gorgonian coral sea fan, setting a picturesque scene for Blue-streak cleaner wrasse to set up what is commonly known as a "cleaning station". Large fish like this humpback grouper open their mouth wide or position their bodies in such a way as to signal that they invite cleaning, a process that may involve the removal of parasites and even dead skin. During this procedure, host fish adopt a trance-like state, enabling the cleaner fish to pick inside their mouth and gills.
Copyright
Steve Parish
Image Size
2000x1249 / 922.4KB
Vivid pink pygmy basslets school around a large Gorgonian coral sea fan, setting a picturesque scene for Blue-streak cleaner wrasse to set up what is commonly known as a "cleaning station". Large fish like this humpback grouper open their mouth wide or position their bodies in such a way as to signal that they invite cleaning, a process that may involve the removal of parasites and even dead skin. During this procedure, host fish adopt a trance-like state, enabling the cleaner fish to pick inside their mouth and gills.