Underwater Healthcare: Cleaner Fish and their Carnivorous Customers
/Underwater Healthcare: Cleaner Fish and their Carnivorous Customers
Description
While the open sea can be a place full of lurking dangers, the coral reef can be a respite for many animals to return to regularily to recuperate. Whether it be small fish, big fish, turtles, manta rays, or sharks, the coral reef in a way serves as the ocean’s Healthcare station.
Within coral reef ecosystems live many different species of fish and shrimp that provide services for other species in the form of cleaning. Animals regularly enter certain designated zones and allow these cleaner fish to eat all the parasites that they have accumulated on their bodies.
These larger fish, if they wanted to, could easily eat these cleaner fish but they choose not to. They know that they are being provided a service that will optimize their health. The cleaner fish in return are given free, easy meals in the form of these parasites.
In some cases, such as pilot fish which often follow sharks, they receive a form of protection by following around the large predators. The sharks tolerate them because they maintain the cleanliness of the sharks’ bodies.
What We Can Learn
This phenomenon within ocean ecosystems is an excellent example of behaviors within nature that go against the traditional aggressive behaviors readily seen. The fact that predators are willing and able to make the choice to NOT eat cleaner fish shows another side of nature that all animals at some level have within them.
This example of mutualism teaches us that healthcare is important for animals as it is to us. Having optimum health is beneficial for all humans, not just for ethical reasons, but because it gives all people the opportunity to express themselves in the world to the highest standard.
As humans we are better off ensuring every one of us has the best physical, mental, and emotional health possible so we have a world that is safe to live in and a world where everybody is able to equally contribute their talents and gifts to the best of their ability for the benefit of all.
