A large coral shown underwater with small, brightly colored gobies swimming around it. — Cleaner gobies set up "shop" in coral reefs, attracting bigger fish "clients," who come to have their scales cleaned of parasites and bacteria. Scientists are studying the role these little fish play in reef microbial diversity. (Matthew Nicholson, University of Miami)

Fish ‘Beauty Salons’ Offer Insight into How Microbes Move Within Reefs

Tiny, Hardworking Cleaner Fish Play a Role in Reef Microbial Diversity

by Kat Kerlin
June 05, 2025

Where do you go when you’re a fish and you need a skincare treatment? Coral reefs contain natural “beauty salons,” lively social hubs of activity where fish “clients” swim up and wait to be serviced by smaller fish cleaners. The little cleaners dart under and around their much bigger clients — even entering their mouths — cleaning their scales of bacteria and parasites like a team of car washers servicing a Buick. Sometimes cleaners even rub against their clients, providing a soothing massage.

But aside from skincare benefits, what role might busy cleaner fish stations play in spreading microbes and bacteria — for good or ill — throughout the reef?

A study published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series is the first to investigate the influence of cleaner fish stations on reef microbial diversity. It is led by scientists from the University of California, Davis, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) in collaboration with the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science.