Whale sharksRhincodon typusget cleaned by the blue-streak cleaner wrasseLabroides dimidiatusand the moon wrasseThalassoma lunarein the Philippines

摘要

Cleaning interactions are essential for healthy marine ecosystem communities. This study reports the first documentation of the whale sharkRhincodon typuscleaning behaviour in the Indo-West Pacific by two wrasse species, the blue-streak cleaner wrasseLabroides dimidiatusand the moon wrasseThalassoma lunarein Cebu, Philippines. This study documented 36 cleaning interactions with 14 individual whale sharks. The cleaning interactions appear opportunistic rather than targeted by the sharks, unlike that observed in other species of elasmobranchs. Further work should focus on understanding the drivers of these unique cleaning interactions.