DOI: 10.5061/dryad.cc2fqz6kh
title: Data from: The interplay of satiation and temptation affects cleaner fish foraging behavior and service quality

description: Our study revealed intriguing behaviours in cleaner fish, highlighting how
 satiation and temptation influence their cleaning interactions. Cleaner
 fish generally prefer to 'cheat' and eat the client's mucus
 rather than clean off parasites. We show that as cleaner fish get hungrier
 and the temptation gets stronger, they cheat more often. Understanding
 these behaviours can provide insights into how animals adjust their
 foraging strategies in response to changing environments.
description: # Data from: The interplay of satiation and temptation affects cleaner
 fish foraging behavior and service quality Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.cc2fqz6kh](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.cc2fqz6kh) ##
 Description of the data and file structure We combined reanalysed field
 observations with laboratory experiments to test how cleaner fish
 (*Labroides dimidiatus*) service quality varies with hunger state. Field
 data from Ras Mohammed National Park, Egypt, included 16 adult cleaners
 observed for 3–4 hours each, recording client species, interaction
 duration, and jolts (a proxy for cheating). Cleaners were classified as
 “satiated” when interacting with residents immediately after high feeding
 sequences of visitor clients, and as “hungry” otherwise. Jolt rates per
 client species were then compared between these states. In laboratory
 experiments at Lizard Island (2010, 2017, 2018), adult female cleaners
 interacted with client fishes or Plexiglas plates offering preferred prawn
 vs less-preferred flake food. Treatments manipulated hunger (recently fed
 vs food-deprived), and interactions were video-recorded and scored blind
 for duration and jolts, or for food choice. ### Files and variables Please
 refer to the manuscript for context, data collection methods, and
 statistical analyses. For questions or to notify the authors of any
 errors, please contact Zegni TRIKI
 ([zegni.triki@gmail.com](mailto:zegni.triki@gmail.com)).
 **data_field.csv** Summary data table from field observations of natural
 cleaning interactions between cleaner fish and their clients. * species:
 Client fish scientific species name - site: reef site * cleaner_state: the
 satiation level of cleaner fish - jolts: total number of client jolts
 recorded during the observations * interaction_duration: the duration of
 cleaning interactions in seconds - jolt_1s: jolt frequency as the number
 of jolts per 1 sec of interaction **data_all_client.csv** Summary data
 table from laboratory experiments with real client fish. Missing data: NA
 * experiment: the experiment label - year: the year of the experiment *
 site: the reef site from which fish (cleaner and clients - session:
 morning and afternoon test sessions * cleaner_ID: cleaner fish identity -
 client_ID: client fish identity * cleaner_id_figure: cleaner fish identity
 used to generate the corresponding figure - client_species: the Latin name
 of the client fish species * treatment: hungry or satiation treatment -
 total_interaction_time: total of cleaner-client interaction duration in
 seconds * nb_jolt: number of client fish body jolts - jolt_1s: frequency
 of client fish body jolt per 1sec of cleaning interactions
 **data_all_plate.csv** Summary data table from laboratory experiments
 using Plexiglas plates as surrogates for client fish. * experiment: the
 experiment label - year: the year of the experiment * site: the reef site
 from which cleaner fish were captured for lab experiments - cleaner_ID:
 cleaner fish identity * flake_content: the percentage of fish flakes in
 the flakes-prawn mix (empty cells- lack of flake content). - treatment:
 the manipulation of the cleaner fish satiation level * total_trial: total
 number  of test trials - flake_item: total number of flake items consumed
 by the cleaner fish over the test trials * prawn_item: total number of
 prawn items consumed by the cleaner fish over the test trials ratio: total
 flakes items divided by total prawn items Further details on the
 experiements, dates and sample sizes (the same information is reported as
 Table 1 in the main text): **Experiments with Real Client Fish** * Exp. 1
 (2010): 16 Labroides dimidiatus each paired with Acanthurus curacao,
 Scarus bilineatus, and Chaetodon striatus; 2 × 10 min sessions/day for 6
 days; tested hungry vs. satiated, client species counterbalanced. * Exp. 2
 (2017): 20 L. dimidiatus + 20 C. striatus (20 pairs); 2 × 15 min
 sessions/fish; hungry vs. satiated. * Exp. 3 (2018): 20 L. dimidiatus + 20
 C. striatus (20 pairs); 2 × 15 min sessions/fish; hungry vs. satiated.
 **Experiments with Plexiglas Plates (Client Surrogates)** * Exp. 4 (2004):
 16 L. dimidiatus; 14 trials over 2 days (7 per treatment/day); hungry vs.
 satiated. * Exp. 5 (2017): 18 L. dimidiatus; 20 trials over 2 days (10 per
 treatment/day); hungry vs. satiated. * Exp. 6 (2018): 18 L. dimidiatus; 16
 trials over 2 days; hungry vs. satiated. * Exp. 7 (2018): 20 L.
 dimidiatus; 40 trials over 4 days (10 per treatment × flake mix/day);
 hungry vs. satiated × flake concentration (10% vs. 40%).
 **code_stats_figures.R**: The code displays summary statistics and the
 first few rows of data_plate and data_client to inspect the data. It then
 converts treatment and flake_content in data_plate to factors for
 categorical analysis, preserving the original level order for
 flake_content