Mark “Otter” Hulsbeck: Mission Day 5: Friday, May 25th, 2001
Today I took a bit of a break from doing maintenance on the Aquarius and took a tour of the surrounding reef. I spotted a cleaning station between the corals and sponges and stopped for a manicure. There were a number of Pederson Cleaner Shrimp on duty. These small translucent shrimp have beautiful purple spots that help them advertise their business. They caught my eye, so I gently placed my hand next to their shop and they quickly went to work. They hopped onto my hand and started removing and eating the loose skin surrounding my fingernails. It didn’t hurt a bit. As a matter of fact, their little legs kind of tickled. They serve an important role on the reef. Fish stop by these cleaning stations to have parasites removed from their bodies.
About midway through my grooming, an Arrow Crab hopped aboard to finish the job. He must have been the supervisor. He finished off the missed spots. About this time, a Spotted Moray Eel stuck his head out of a hole, just inches from my hand. I guess I was intruding on his appointment. The cleaner shrimp must have put up a new sign as a Dentist Office, because Mr. Moray opened his mouth and the cleaner shrimp quickly began giving him a cleaning that any Dental Hygienist would envy. I admired their work for a while, bid them adieu, and continued my tour of the reef.
Sometimes the little things are the most fascinating!
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