Shrimps and symbiotic cleaners. Part 21 of my DVD, "Reef Life of the Andaman", available at //www.bubblevision.com/marine-life-DVD.htm

In this video we look at how different types of shrimp feed, and how some shrimp and fish clean a host fish in a mutually-beneficial symbiotic relationship.

First we see a pair of harlequin shrimp, Hymenocera picta, feeding on a velvety sea star, Leiaster speciosus, at Koh Ha in Thailand's southern islands. The small shrimps feed exclusively on starfish.

We then encounter a peacock mantis shrimp, Odontodactylus scyllarus, attempting to smash an oyster with its claws which have evolved into powerful clubs.

Skunk cleaner shrimps, Lysmata amboinensis, form mutual symbiotic relationships with marine creatures such as giant morays. The shrimps clean the larger host so the so the shrimp keeps itself fed while the host keeps itself clean and healthy. We even see a skunk cleaner shrimp cleaning a scuba diver's teeth!

Cleaner wrasse perform a similar role. We see bluestreak cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus, cleaning the mouths of variable-lined fusiliers, Caesio varilineata, at Koh Bon and Koh Tachai, and cleaning inside the gill of a starry puffer, Arothron stellatus, at Staghorn Reef on Racha Yai island. We also see bicolor cleaner wrasse, Labroides bicolor, cleaning a teira batfish, a yellowspotted trevally and a giant moray eel.

Finally we examine how the cleaner's attentions are not always welcome. A honeycomb moray, Gymnothorax favagenius, is irritated by a rock cleaner shrimp, and a blackspotted puffer, Arothron nigropunctatus, is annoyed by cleaner wrasse. One even bites a pharaoh cuttlefish, Sepia pharaonis. It could be that these fish are false cleanerfish, Aspidontus taeniatus, a sabre-toothed blenny which has evolved to mimic the bluestreak cleaner wrasse, but actually feeds off the flesh of its hosts.

The full narration is available as English, German or Spanish subtitles by turning on the closed captions (CC). There are also closed captions available showing scientific and common names of the marine life in English, German or Dutch, along with dive site names.

"Reef Life of the Andaman" is being serialised weekly on YouTube. Please subscribe to my channel to receive notifications of new episodes as I release them. The series features descriptions of 213 different marine species including more than 100 tropical fish, along with sharks, rays, moray eels, crabs, lobsters, shrimps, sea slugs, cuttlefish, squid, octopus, turtles, sea snakes, starfish, sea cucumbers, corals, worms etc..

I have more scuba diving videos and underwater footage on my website at:
//www.bubblevision.com

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The video was shot by Nick Hope with a Sony VX2000 DV camera in a Gates housing. It was edited in Sony Vegas Pro then deinterlaced with QTGMC and upscaled to 720p HD in AviSynth.

Thanks to Kevin MacCleod (//www.incompetch.com) for the music track, "Modern Vibes".

Thanks to Santana Diving of Phuket (//www.santanaphuket.com), in particular Spencer Finn for the teeth!

Thanks to Elfi and Uli Erfort and Daniel Bruehwiler for help with the German translation, and to Frank Nelissen for the Dutch subtitles.

Full list of marine life and dive sites featured in this video:

00.06 Harlequin Shrimp, Hymenocera picta, Koh Ha
01:10 Peacock Mantis Shrimp, Odontodactylus scyllarus, Lucy's Reef, Racha Yai
02:09 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, Lysmata amboinensis, Richelieu Rock
02:34 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, Lysmata amboinensis, Fan Forest Pinnacle
02:48 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, Lysmata amboinensis, Richelieu Rock
02:58 Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus, Koh Bon
03:13 Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus, Koh Tachai
03:18 Starry Puffer, Arothron stellatus, Staghorn Reef
03:28 Teira Batfish, Platax teira, Koh Tachai
03:42 Bicolor Cleaner Wrasse, Labroides bicolor, Koh Tachai
03:49 Yellowspotted Trevally, Carangoides fulvoguttatus, Hin Muang
03:56 Bicolor Cleaner Wrasse, Labroides bicolor, Koh Bon
04:08 Honeycomb Moray, Gymnothorax favagenius, Boonsung Wreck
04:29 Blackspotted Puffer, Arothron nigropunctatus, Anemone Reef
04:51 Pharaoh Cuttlefish, Sepia pharaonis, Fan Forest Pinnacle