10/5/2005: Toothbrush shrimp

[chrisinhouston]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

The fish gets pearly whites, and the shrimp gets a meal and doesn't get et in return. Seems a fair deal.

Yea the only thing different with this and a trip to my dentist is that if the shrimp mentions that Mr. Fish needs to floss, he's going to get chomped on!

[magilla]

Reminds me of that Far Side cartoon: there's a crocodile on a psychiatrist's couch saying, "Doc? You know those birds that walk around inside a crocodile's mouth eating all the parasites? I been eating those little guys like popcorn."

Anyway, there are fish called wrasses that do this also. They set up a station on a reef and large fish come to have their teeth cleaned. Evolution being what it is, there are also mimic cleaner wrasses, who look just like the real thing. When a big fish swims up and opens its mouth, this guy swims right in, takes a chomp out of his lip or gum, and swims back into his hole right quick

Amazing the things you recall from one Ichthyology class 20 years ago.

[johningerslev]

what struck me about the fish was the square pupil.

[capnhowdy]

I'll bet occasionally the fish lies to one of those tasty little morsles. I wish the hell that was me & my dentist. That just could be the leverage required for fee negotiation.......

Very crisp and colorful image and I, also was struck by the colors. Never did see any puke or dung. Maybe I lack imagination.