Not furry, but we like them anyway.
Cleaner Wrasse
Labroides dimidiatus
Also called Bluestreak cleaner wrasse, Common cleanerfish
From Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and East Africa to the Line, Marquesas and Ducie islands; north to southern Japan, south to Lord Howe and Rapa12
At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Slender wrasse
A slim, small wrasse with a bold black stripe running from the snout through the eye to the tail, widening toward the back. The back and belly are white to pale yellow, washing into bright blue toward the front. Juveniles are black with an electric-blue line.2
Personality what they are like
Peaceful and sociable, setting up a cleaning station and welcoming other fish with a little bobbing dance.31
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Active swimmer that needs room to move, and a fish that can jump, so a secure lid is wise.3
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Considered a fish for experienced aquarists. Feed small meaty meals often, such as enriched frozen shrimp and brine shrimp, adding flakes and pellets once settled.3
Home where they are happiest
Minimum about 90 US gallons (341 L) with open swimming room and a tight-fitting lid. Saltwater at about 22 to 26 °C, pH 8.1 to 8.4, dKH 8 to 12, specific gravity 1.020 to 1.025. Wild fish live in coral-rich lagoons and reef flats to seaward reefs, usually at 1 to 30 m.31
Food basics what goes in the bowl
In the wild it eats small crustacean parasites and mucus it picks from other fish. In aquariums it needs frequent small portions of meaty foods.123
Company who they like around
Lives in small social units run by a dominant male with several females; keep with fish that look different from it.23
The story where it all began
Achille Valenciennes described it in 1839. It is the best-known cleaner fish on Indo-Pacific reefs, and a 2015 record extended its range to the Kermadec Islands north of New Zealand.21
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It greets visiting fish at its cleaning station with a dance, bobbing the rear of its body up and down.1
- 2
Research suggests it may recognise itself in a mirror, a rare ability among animals.2
- 3
If the dominant male disappears, the biggest female can change sex and take his place.2
- 4
It will even swim inside the mouths and gill covers of larger fish to clean them.3
- 5
Some blennies imitate its look to get close to other fish.2
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (assessed 2008)1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Cleaner Wrasse. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Salinity checkevery week
- Top-upTop up evaporation with fresh RO water, not salt waterevery day
- Water testevery week
- Water changeAbout 10 to 20% of the waterevery 2 weeks
- Glass cleanevery week
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- FishBase: Labroides dimidiatus fishbase.seused for distribution, size, depth, habitat, diet, behaviour, max age, IUCN
- Wikipedia: Bluestreak cleaner wrasse en.wikipedia.orgused for colours, social structure, history, fun facts
- LiveAquaria: Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse liveaquaria.comused for care, tank size, water parameters, diet
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.