Head to head
Neon Goby vs Cleaner Wrasse
The neon goby and cleaner wrasse both make a living removing parasites from larger fish, but the cleaner wrasse has become by far the more intensively studied and behaviourally elaborate of the two, complete with an advertising dance and a documented history of occasional cheating.
| Neon Goby | Cleaner Wrasse | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Elacatinus oceanops | Labroides dimidiatus |
| Size | A small, easily overlooked fish | About 10 cm long |
| Identifying mark | A vivid blue stripe on a dark body | An electric-blue body with a widening black stripe |
| Clientele scale | Not specifically documented at scale | Can service well over a thousand clients in a day |
| Notable behaviour | Sets up a fixed cleaning station | Performs a bobbing, fluttering advertising dance |
| Honesty in cleaning | Not specifically documented | Sometimes cheats by biting healthy mucus, and is punished for it |
| Native range | Caribbean and western Atlantic | Indo-Pacific |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Neon Goby vs Cleaner Wrasse: common questions
Which cleaner fish services more clients in a day, the neon goby or the cleaner wrasse?
The cleaner wrasse, which can service well over a thousand clients in a single day, a documented scale of activity not specifically recorded for the smaller, more quietly operating neon goby.
Does either the neon goby or cleaner wrasse ever cheat its clients?
This is specifically documented in the cleaner wrasse, which sometimes bites off a mouthful of healthy mucus instead of a parasite and is punished by clients who notice, chasing it off or switching to a rival station.
Where are the neon goby and cleaner wrasse found?
The neon goby is native to reef habitat across the Caribbean and western Atlantic, while the cleaner wrasse is native to coral reefs across the tropical Indo-Pacific.