DOI: 10.5061/dryad.ncjsxkssr
title: Multiple cleaner species provide simultaneous services to coral reef fish clients

description: Cleaning symbioses on tropical coral reefs are typically documented
 between two species: a single client fish and one or more conspecific
 cleaners. However, multiple Caribbean cleaner species often live
 sympatrically and have been anecdotally reported to simultaneously clean
 the same client. The patterns and processes driving these interactions are
 poorly understood and cleaning interactions involving multiple cleaner
 species may be subject to different driving forces than those involving a
 single cleaner species. Here we used remote underwater videography on
 three reefs in Honduras to record simultaneous cleaning interactions
 involving Pederson’s cleaner shrimp (Ancylomenes pedersoni) and cleaner
 gobies (Elacatinus spp.). Our multi-year dataset shows cleaner gobies
 joined 28% of all interactions initiated at A. pedersoni cleaning stations
 with cleaner gobies residing nearby, and 9% of all cleaning interactions
 across our study sites. Client body size significantly predicted
 simultaneous cleaning interactions, with 45% of interactions simultaneous
 for clients &gt;20cm total body length compared to only 8% for clients
 &lt;20cm. We also found that simultaneous cleaning interactions were
 over twice as long as solitary shrimp-only interactions. Moreover,
 interactions were always initiated by a shrimp with gobies joining
 simultaneously and we recorded no observations of aggression between the
 two cleaners. We suggest the possibilities of cooperative and exploitative
 relationships between the two cleaners.
description: Remote underwater video
 observations were collected from <i>A. pedersoni</i> cleaning
 stations on three reefs in Honduras: (i) Coral View, Utila, (ii) an
 unnamed reef,  Cayos Cochinos Marine Protected Area, and (iii) Banco
 Capiro, in the mainland bay of Tela (15°51′48.71′′N,
 87°29′42.90′′W). At each reef location,
 <i>B. annulata</i> cleaning stations hosting <i>A.
 pedersoni </i>were located and tagged, and any evidence of
 <i>Elacatinus</i> spp. residing nearby was noted. We use
 <i>Elacatinus</i> spp. due to difficulties with accurate
 identification from video, although diver observations suggest most, if
 not all, were <i>Elacatinus evelynae</i>. Anemones were
 measured using the tentacle crown surface area approach to provide a
 reference scale to estimate client fish size. GoPro cameras were placed
 approximately 1-1.5m from each cleaning station and were left to record
 for the duration of their battery life (ca. 120-210 min). Cameras were
 deployed between 7am and 3pm and time was recorded to include in analyses.
 Once deployed, all divers exited the water to mitigate the effects of
 diver presence. Video footage was
 analysed for: client fish species, client feeding guild and predatory
 category (whether they pose a predation risk to shrimp only, goby only,
 both, or neither), clean duration, and whether the interaction was
 solitary (shrimp only) or simultaneous (participation by at least one
 shrimp and one goby). Client body size was classified as small
 (&lt;20cm total length) or large (&gt;20cm), with more accurate
 measurements not deemed feasible due to the challenges of measuring size
 from single, stationary video footage, and the need for clients to be
 consistently positioned side-on. A cleaning interaction was defined as
 physical contact between <i>A. pedersoni</i> or
 <i>Elacatinus </i>spp<i>.</i> and a client
 fish.