DON'T EAT THE CLEANERS: Tiny Fsh With a Big Job

 Anyone who has experienced swimming in a coral reef will come away changed, forever in awe. In many cases that is due to the beauty and remarkable diversity of life sustained by coral reefs. That awe is often matched with anxiety about the seemingly endless destruction of such a vital life force on this planet. Coral Reef destruction is a consequences of human activity, whether intentional (commercial harvesting for sale) or indirect results of our mindless greed (climate change). I join the anxious people, of course, but my AWE is virtual, since I have not yet had an opportunity to visit coral reefs for myself.

PEACHTREE, 2025

I mention all that because the consequence of losing our coral reefs will be immeasurable. Let's work to prevent that from happening. (Check here for action suggestions.) 

DON'T EAT THE CLEANERS: Tiny Fish With A Big Job! is written and illustrated by Susan Stockdale. This talented creator does NOT rely on virtual encounters or indirect research to produce her reliably impressive work. She immerses herself in her subject matter (most often submersing herself). Her previous picture books have earned many awards and have been honored as notable books of the year by NCTE, NSTA, Bank Street College of Education, and ALSC, among others. If that sounds like alphabet soup, let me assure you that these are prestige lists that have bring attention to her and other titles of great quality. It's safe to say that this latest release merits similar attention and accolades.

The opening lines offer readers information about why these relationships matter. Just because fish live in water doesn't mean that they don't get dirty. If you've ever cleaned a birdbath or fish tank, you are aware that water is an ideal growth habitat for all sorts of algae, microscopic creatures, and more. Living things constantly replace dead skin with fresh cells, providing parasites with sources of food.  Scrapes and injuries can become infected simply by living lives in a wild habitat. 

This is where those coral reefs play a role. They are the habitats and cleaning stations for daily "detailing" activity to help individuals stay healthy. There are two principle "CLEANER" species who live in the coral reefs and serve the surrounding population all day long, every day. Some have been observed "cleaning" up to one hundred customers a day, and some fish even return up to one hundred times a day to have more cleaning completed. Seriously! The two species who serve so admirably (and necessarily)  are "cleaner wrasse" and "cleaner shrimp". Wrasse have a distinctive stripe along their length to announce their occupation, while this variety of shrimp have exceptionally long white antennae, which they wave in a rocking "dance" to indicate availability. I couldn't help but picture those inflatable tall characters flapping empty arms outside car washes and other businesses!.

(The author illustrator had more restraint than I might have, because the vibrant colors and   soft-edged forms she depicts do not stoop to such cartoonish images. The quality of the art is bright and clear enough for the youngest audiences but so accurate in detail that older readers looking for examples of various coral reef forms and fish species can readily identify them.)

If it sounds like I've given away too much content, I assure you I have not. I was familiar with this inter-species process, but page after page revealed more fascinating facts from these relationships. The symbiotic nature of the cleaners and their "customers" is something I understood, but there are so many more surprises. I'll save those for you to discover, except to note this: 

These seemingly "mindless' or "instinct driven" ocean dwellers have patterns of behavior that could serve as models of manners for us humans.

When predators restrain themselves to have their teeth cleaned, it's impressive. When they occupy the same coral spaces in a long line of waiting "customers" without disrupting or devouring each other, we really should pay attention. Maybe even learn something. The cover of this recent release is appealing in color and design. With a closer look we see several wrasse swimming inside the mouth of a fish that could easily consume them, but does not. Not unlike a dentist or hygienist digging away inside our open mouths without fearing we might bite them.

No matter what evolutionary process led all involved to display such restraint (dare I say respect?) for the balance of benefits to be gained, when such reportedly small-brained creatures can figure it out, couldn't we? Shouldn't we? Take a look at this new offering and see if you, too, come away in awe of coral reefs, of relationships in nature, and with just a bit of shame at our human patterns of serving our own immediate impulses rather before pausing to regulate for the greater good.