Ability of Pederson Cleaner Shrimp To Remove Juveniles of the Parasitic Cymothoid Isopod, Anilocra Haemuli, From the Host

Abstract

Eight species of prospective cleaners, four fishes (sharknosed goby Gobiosoma evelynae, and juveniles of bluehead (wrasse) Thalassoma bifasciatum, Spanish hogfish Bodianus rufus and gray angelfish Pomaccanthus arcuatus) and four shrimps (cleaner shrimp Lysmata grabhami, Pederson cleaner shrimp Periclimenes pedersoni, banded coral shrimp Stenopus hispidus and golden coral shrimp Stenopus scutellatus) were evaluated in aquaria for their ability to remove newly settled juveniles of the fish-parasitic cymothoid isopod Anilocra haemuli from French grunts Haemulon flavolineatum. Periclimenes pedersoni removed all isopods almost immediately. No other cleaners removed any isopods over a 24 hr challenge period. This study is the first evidence that cleaner shrimps can remove juvenile cymothoid isopods.