Among some cleaner fish species, it appears that it is the males who are more devious than the females, a researcher at the University of Neuchatel in Switzerland has found.
By protecting their clients from being bitten by overzealous female cleaner fish, the males bag some tasty dessert for themselves.
The cleaner fish Labroides dimidiatus, which measures about 10cm, feeds on parasites found on larger fish.
But the females can sometimes upset the applecart by being too greedy and “bite the flesh of the fish they are cleaning in a bid to get to the mucus, which is more tasty than the parasites on the surface,” researcher Redouan Bshary found.
The male fish, which are bigger in size, would then step in to chase the females away.
By protecting the fish they are cleaning from being bitten by the female cleaners, the male cleaners keep the client from leaving the cleaning station.
Fearful of incurring the wrath of the males again, the females also no longer dare to go near the mucus.
After the cleaning is done on the surface, the males can then move on to the mucus for dessert, without having to share it with the females.
The male fish is therefore the “main winner,” said the researcher, whose findings are published in the journal Science.(AFP)
瑞士紐夏特大學的一名研究學者發現，在某些種類的清潔魚中，公魚似乎比母魚更為狡詐。
這類公魚會保護牠們的客戶不被過度積極的母魚咬傷，隨後自己獨享這些美味的點心。
裂唇魚這種清潔魚體長約十公分，以大型魚類身上的寄生生物為主食。
研究學者雷多安．夏瑞發現，母魚有時候可能會因為太貪心而壞了好事，「為了嚐到比表面寄生生物更美味的黏液，她們會咬破清理中的魚的肉。」
體型較大的公魚會介入趕走母魚。
為了不讓母魚咬傷正在清潔的魚，公魚會把客戶留在清潔服務站內。
母魚因為怕再次惹怒公魚，便不敢再靠近黏液一步。
清理完表面後，公魚會接著清理黏液當作點心，不跟母魚分享。
研究學者說，因此，公魚才是「最大的贏家」；該發現刊載於《科學》期刊上。
（法新社╱翻譯：袁星塵）
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