What is cleaning symbiosis?
Written by
Benjamin Miller
Reviewed by
Prof. Charles Hartman, Ph.D.Cleaning symbiosis represents nature's mutualistic relationships in which various species remove parasites from others. Small fish groom larger marine animals by consuming skin parasites that inhabit their bodies. Such a relationship provides food for the cleaner and decreases the risk of disease to the host. Such science-based relationships are earmarks of a healthy marine ecosystem that occurs in oceans around the world.
Marine Cleaning Stations
- Reef fish establish specific locations where larger fish visit for cleaning
- Cleaner wrasses consume parasites from gills and scales of host fish
- Host fish display special postures signaling readiness for cleaning
- These stations become biodiversity hotspots on coral reefs
Bird-Mammal Partnerships
- Oxpeckers remove ticks from large African mammals like rhinos
- Birds get food while reducing parasite loads on their hosts
- Mammals tolerate birds through evolutionary-developed behaviors
- This mutualism controls tick populations in savanna ecosystems
Insect Cleaning Crews
- Ants protect aphids from predators while harvesting honeydew
- Certain beetles clean fungus from ant colonies receiving protection
- Specialized mites remove debris from insect exoskeletons
- These miniature partnerships maintain insect colony health
Cleaning stations on coral reefs are a clear demonstration of advanced cooperation. Cleaner wrasses locate specific areas where the host fish queue for service. I have observed moray eels opening their mouths for total oral cavity cleaning. These associations reduce parasite loads by as much as 80%, thereby maintaining the fish's health.
Oxpeckers are a case of terrestrial cleaning symbiosis with large mammals. The birds eat ticks embedded in the thick skin of rhinos and buffalo. These hosts have evolved behaviors, including specific calls, which allow them to tolerate the birds. This cooperative relationship successfully stemmed the spread of tick-borne diseases and disease transmission throughout the African ecosystem.
Insect cleaning crews sustain tiny ecosystems that display mutually beneficial relationships as ants care for and protect their aphids while taking their honeydew secretions. Certain species of mites remove fungal spores from the exoskeletons of beetles. These interactions reduce the likelihood of disease outbreaks in insect colonies, representing nature's sanitation systems.
Cleaning symbiosis faces threats from habitat loss and pollution. Bleaching events destroy cleaning stations on coral. Other threats, such as pesticides, eliminate insect cleaning partners. Conserving cleaning symbiosis requires an understanding of these complex biological partnerships that play an integral role in maintaining ecosystem balance.
Read the full article: 10 Symbiotic Relationships Examples in Nature
