Photo 13229971, (c) David Spencer Muirhead, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by David Spencer Muirhead

Attribution © David Spencer Muirhead
some rights reserved
Uploaded by davemmdave davemmdave
Source iNaturalist Australia
Associated observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Brownspotted Wrasse (Notolabrus parilus)

Observer

davemmdave

Date

January 12, 2017 12:32 PM ACDT

Description

Large male at western cleaner clingfish station (WCC not in view) under rock reef ledge depth 6m. Note ulcerating lumps on head. I don't know the cause. Possibilities might include:
1) some kind of microbial infection e.g. tuberculosis
2) parasitism
3) healing trauma e.g. spear-fisher's wound
The mature male swam normally back and forth along this long wide ledge but seemed very keen to spend time at the cleaning station and repeatedly returned to it whenever I backed off with my camera

Sizes