Cleaner personality and client identity have joint consequences on cleaning interaction dynamics.

ABSTRACT: Mutualistic interactions involve 2 species beneficially cooperating, but it is not clear how these interactions are maintained. In many mutualisms, one species interacts with multiple species, and since partners differ in terms of the commodities they trade, partner identity will directly influence the decisions and behaviors of interacting individuals. Here, we investigated the consequences of within and between-species diversity on a model cleaner-client interaction in a natural environment, by quantifying the behavior of both partners. We found that the predominant Caribbean cleaner fish, the sharknose goby (Elacatinus evelynae), shows personality variation as we documented repeatable individual differences in activity, boldness, and exploratory behaviors. Personality variation w

SUBMITTER: Dunkley K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6562305 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature