| Main Ref. | Myers, R.F., 1991 | ||||
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| Distribution |
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| Remarks | Inhabit lagoons, subtidal reef flats and outer reef slopes (where it occurs to depths of over 20 m). Often in lives in pairs in empty worm tubes or narrow holes. Mimic the cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus and nip fins, skin and scales of other fishes (Ref. 9710). It even copies the motion of the cleaner wrasse that may induce other fish to come close, but it targets their scales or mucus for a feed, biting and quickly retreating to the corals before the victim realizes that it was tricked; experienced fish recognize imposters and often give it a chase (Ref. 48636). Also feeds on tubeworms and demersal fish eggs. |
| Substrate | |
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| Substrate Ref. | |
| Special habitats | Coral Reefs; |
| Special habitats Ref. | Nguyen, N.T. and V.Q. Nguyen, 2006 |
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| Parasitism |
| Feeding type | mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Feeding type ref | Myers, R.F., 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Feeding habit | variable | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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