January 15th, 2022 at 11:00PM
asker

somemushroomguy asked:

I know there's a niche in ecology for organisms that climb on other organisms and eat their parasites. Are there any examples in nature of creatures mimicking other more beneficial organisms?

bogleech:

There’s probably more examples than we know of but oddly the only one I’ve ever heard of are the false cleaner wrasses! Real cleaner wrasses perform a “dance” that “advertises” to fish of countless other species that they’ll eat their parasites, so other fish will respond to the dance by hovering in place and spreading their fins to be cleaned up.

The false cleaner wrasse mimics the coloration, shape, and dance of the real thing but then eats chunks of actual fin. It also has a silly face that opens up into demon fangs:

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smilin about it!! thinks its funny!!!!

photos from: 1, 2, 3

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  25. bogleech posted this
    I know there's a niche in ecology for organisms that climb on other organisms and eat their parasites. Are there any...
2,999 notes #rude!!
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