🐟 AquaticCare difficulty: AdvancedLegal complexity: Low
Bluestreak cleaner wrasse
Labroides dimidiatus · also called Cleaner wrasse, Bluestreak cleaner wrasse, Common cleaner wrasse, Bridled beauty
A slender, electric-blue-and-black striped reef fish that earns its living picking parasites and dead tissue off other fish at cleaning stations. Captivating to watch, but a specialist feeder that often starves in captivity, so it is best left on the reef unless you can meet its demanding diet.
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Quick facts
| Size | Reaches about 4.5 in (11.5 cm), typically 3-4 in (7.5-10 cm) in aquaria. |
| Lifespan | 4–7 years |
| Social needs | solo |
| Native region | Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to the central Pacific |
| Origin | Old World |
| Climate | 🌴 Tropical |
| Water type | 🌊 Marine |
| Family | Labridae |
| Genus | Labroides |
Part of the Wrasses
Wrasses (family Labridae) are an enormous, diverse group of active, colorful reef fish ranging from tiny fairy and flasher wrasses to large predators. Many sand-diving species sleep buried in the substrate, most are accomplished jumpers, and several are prized for controlling pest invertebrates in reef aquariums.
Habitat & space requirements
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Habitat & enclosure
Provide a minimum of 50-75 gallons of well-established, fish-heavy reef aquarium, because a cleaner wrasse depends on a steady supply of host fish to clean and on natural microfauna to supplement its diet. Aquascape with abundant live rock to create cleaning-station perches, sightlines, and crevices; the fish does not bury in sand but wedges into rock nooks to sleep, sometimes in a mucus cocoon. A tightly fitting lid is essential, as wrasses jump.
Maintain stable tropical reef parameters: temperature 72-80 F (22-27 C), pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.023-1.026 specific gravity, and moderate flow. Stability matters greatly because this is a delicate, stress-prone species that tolerates little fluctuation in water quality.
Substrate
A fine sand bed is appropriate and natural for the display, though this wrasse rests in rock crevices rather than burrowing. Generous live rock is the most important aquascape element, providing cleaning perches and overnight shelter.
Equipment & setup
Run a marine system with strong biological filtration, a protein skimmer, and a reliable heater set to the tropical range; a chiller may be needed in warm climates. Provide moderate flow from powerheads and standard reef lighting, and fit a secure, gap-free lid to prevent jumping.
Diet
In the wild this is an obligate cleaner that feeds almost entirely on the mucus, dead skin, and ectoparasites it removes from other fish, supplemented by tiny crustaceans. That specialized diet is extremely hard to replicate, which is why many imported cleaner wrasses slowly starve in home tanks. To have any chance of success, keep it only in a large, heavily stocked system with many fish to service, and offer frequent small feedings of enriched frozen mysis, cyclops, finely chopped seafood, and prepared foods.
Feed three or more times daily and watch closely that the individual is actually eating prepared food, not just picking. Many ethical aquarists decline to keep this species at all because of its poor survival record.
Behavior & temperament
Peaceful and reef-safe, the bluestreak cleaner wrasse is famous for its swaying "dance" that advertises cleaning services; other fish, even predators, queue up and allow it to pick at their gills, mouth, and body. It is harmless to corals and invertebrates and ignores tankmates except to clean them. It can be kept singly or, with care, as a mated pair in a large system, but multiple unpaired individuals will squabble.
Its greatest value is behavioral interest rather than practical parasite control, and it should never be relied on to cure a sick tank. Provide a calm, established community with plenty of larger, docile fish for it to service.
Health
The overwhelming risk is starvation and stress-related decline within weeks to months of import, the main reason this species is rated advanced and often discouraged. Beyond nutrition, cleaner wrasses are susceptible to ich (Cryptocaryon) and marine velvet, especially after shipping, so a careful quarantine and a fully cycled, mature display are critical. Avoid copper-based treatments where possible, as wrasses can be sensitive.
Never buy a thin, sunken-bellied specimen, and observe it feeding on prepared food at the store before purchase. Wild collection of cleaner wrasses also harms reef health, since each fish services many others.
Tips, DIY & hacks
Strongly consider a captive-bred or aquacultured individual if available, as they accept prepared foods far better than wild imports. Drip-acclimate slowly, quarantine before adding to the display, and confirm the fish eats frozen and prepared foods at the store first. The neon goby (Elacatinus) is a hardier, more sustainable cleaning alternative.