The effect of the cleaner fish Labroides dimidiatus on the capsalid monogenean Benedenia lolo parasite of the labrid fish Hemigymnus melapterus

Abstract

The cleaner fish Labroides dimidiatus affected the pigmented monogenean parasite Benedenia lolo on the fish Hemigymnus melapterus (Labridae) held in aquaria. The effect of cleaner fish varied with the size class of fish; only small fish [ a posteriori size class L S )] exposed to cleaner fish had fewer monogeneans compared with fish not exposed to cleaner fish. The abundance of monogeneans on large fish ( a posteriori size class L S ) was not affected by cleaner fish. The size‐frequency distributions of monogeneans on both size‐classes of H. melapterus were affected by cleaner fish. Fish exposed to cleaner fish had fewer large (>3 mm) and more small ( L. dimidiatus has the potential to control benedeniine monogeneans on captive fish and highlights the importance of taking into account fish size in studies of the effect of cleaner fish on ectoparasites.

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