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False cleanerfish - Aspidontus taeniatus Often hidden in crevices, peering out at you.<br />
Mark&#039;s photo.<br />
Cabilao, 2012. Aspidontus taeniatus,Fall,False cleanerfish,Geotagged,Philippines Click/tap to enlarge

False cleanerfish - Aspidontus taeniatus

Often hidden in crevices, peering out at you.
Mark's photo.
Cabilao, 2012.

    comments (2)

  1. So its mimicking a cleaner to avoid predation, without doing the actual work of cleaning. That's a smart fish. Posted 5 years ago
    1. Yes, it is a little bitchy fish..I have been chased and bitten by them before :-) Posted 5 years ago

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The false cleanerfish, Aspidontus taeniatus, is a species of combtooth blenny, a Batesian mimic that copies both the dance and appearance of ''Labroides dimidiatus'', a similarly colored species of cleaner wrasse. Likely mimicking the bluestreak cleaner wrasse to avoid predation, as well to occasionally bite the fins of its victims rather than consume parasites.

Similar species: Blennies
Species identified by Patomarazul
View Patomarazul's profile

By Patomarazul

All rights reserved
Uploaded Mar 21, 2020. Captured Oct 11, 2012 04:06 in Cabilao Island Rd, Loon, Bohol, Philippines.
  • DC1400
  • f/5.7
  • 1/71s
  • ISO200
  • 19.6mm