Are cleaner fish clean?

Are cleaner fish, Labroides dimidiatus, inequity averse?

Please cite this article in press as: Raihani, N dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.06.023 Inequity aversion (IA), a willingness to incur temporary costs to prevent unequal outcomes, is common in humans and thought to be beneficial in the context of cooperative relationships with nonkin, since it might allow individuals to regulate contributions to cooperative activities. Attempts to address whe...

Cleaner fish

The authorities in Modena hope the bats can stop the onslaught of the tiger mosquito. Council workers place the bat boxes in quiet, dark, south-facing sites that bats prefer for breeding in the early months of the year. “We are trying to think of what we could do to exploit their natural predators and so we thought of bats,” says Modena’s environment councillor Simona Arletti. “Until now the me...

Beyond Symbiosis: Cleaner Shrimp Clean Up in Culture

Cleaner organisms exhibit a remarkable natural behaviour where they consume ectoparasites attached to "client" organisms. While this behaviour can be utilized as a natural method of parasitic disease control (or biocontrol), it is not known whether cleaner organisms can also limit reinfection from parasite eggs and larvae within the environment. Here we show that cleaner shrimp, Lysmata amboine...

Cleaner and Greener Doesn't Always Mean Clean and Green

Floating faeces for a cleaner fish production

Recent developments in European recirculating aquaculture systems suggest expanding potential for this extremely water-efficient technique. However, the technology still faces challenges due to concerns over economic efficiency and system stability—both essential in minimizing the risk of financially and environmentally expensive failures. One key factor in maintaining stable production conditi...