News Animals

Fishy Reputations: Undersea watchers choose helpers that do good jobs

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

Coral reef fish do consumer research in a way that keeps a service-providing species honest, says a new study.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. As small cleaner fish feed on the skin parasites of a bigger fish, they may be building their reputations as good workers. I. Burkhardt

When parasites build up on the skin of a reef fish, it can get relief by swimming over to a small, so-called cleaner fish that nibbles off the encrustations.