| Labroides bicolor | |
|---|---|
| |
| Conservation status | |
 Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Labriformes |
| Family: | Labridae |
| Genus: | Labroides |
| Species: | L. bicolor |
| Binomial name | |
| Labroides bicolor Fowler & B.A. Bean, 1928 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Fowlerella bicolor (Fowler & B.A. Bean, 1928) | |
Labroides bicolor is a species of wrasse endemic to the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It is known by various names including bicolor cleanerfish, bicolor(ed) cleaner wrasse, cleaner wrasse, two-color cleaner wrasse and yellow diesel wrasse.
Description
The male is black with light color in the back of the body, the female is gray with black, and juveniles are yellow and black.
Distribution and population
The countries and territories that it occurs in include American Samoa, Australia, British Indian Ocean Territory, China, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Comoros, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mayotte, Micronesia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Réunion, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Wallis and Futuna and Yemen.
Given its wide range, the exact population is unknown, but it is considered relatively common (except in the Philippines and Malaysia, where it is rare in some sites).
Habitat and ecology
It is found in abundant coral areas from sub-tidal reef flats to deeper lagoons and seaward reefs and has a depth of 40 meters. Unlike other cleaner wrasses, this fish spans larger areas to clean and is cleans more during the day when it is active. It, both individually and in groups, feeds on fish mucus and crustacean ectoparasites such as the Gnathiidae, and has been found to clean and interact with a variety of species, including the striated surgeonfish, the brown tang, parrotfish and the closely related bluestreak cleaner wrasse. It also cleans sharks and rays, such as the grey reef shark and the whitetip reef shark. At night, it may sleep in a mucous cocoon.
Like other cleaners, Labroides bicolor will dance as a form of communication and may also dance to reduce client aggression.
Conservation
It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN and it not considered to be significantly threatened although it was once was targeted by the aquarium industry, and coral degradation may occur in some parts of its range. It occurs in several protected areas throughout its range but research is needed on sustainable harvest and trade and the impact of collection.
References
- Pollard, D.; Yusuf, Y.; Hilomen, V.; Pontillas, J. (2010). "Labroides bicolor". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T187767A8625392. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T187767A8625392.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Labroides bicolot". FishBase. August 2019 version.
- Phillip C. Heemstra, Elaine Heemstra (2004). Coastal Fishes of Southern Africa. NISC. p. 347. ISBN 1920033017. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
- David L. Pearson, Les Beletsky (2008). Thailand. Interlink Publishing. p. 196. ISBN 978-1566566940. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
- Issues in Global Environment—Biodiversity, Resources, and Conservation: 2013 Edition. ScholarlyEditions. 2013. p. 699. ISBN 978-1490109633. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
- Michael, Scott W. (2005). Reef Sharks and Rays of the World. ProStar Publications. p. 10. ISBN 1577855388. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
- Rohde, Klaus (2005). Marine Parasitology. CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 0643099271. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
External links
- FishBase profile
- Photos of Labroides bicolor on Sealife Collection
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Labroides bicolor | |