Facultative cleaning behaviour of juvenile Diplodus sargus (Sparidae) and its ecological role in marine temperate waters

The diversity and abundance of cleaner species have been frequently associated with ectoparasite load and ecological wealth of tropical fish communities. Cleaning behaviour in temperate regions has received less attention, with few labrid species being described as cleaners. The context and frequency of cleaning behaviour by juvenile white seabream Diplodus sargus are described. Surface observations from pontoons in yachting marinas were carried out based on a method used in a recent first report of cleaning behaviour by this northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean sparid. A total of 51 h of observations revealed that these juveniles (