Review of Labroides — Randall 
337 
than the other species of the genus. They 
have been observed to follow individual 
fishes closely for 30 feet or more, frequently 
making contact with the dorsal fin or the 
dorsal part of the body of these fishes. 
I have never observed L. bicolor enter the 
mouth or gill cavities of larger fishes as has 
been observed for L. dimidiatus , L. phthiropha- 
gus , and L. rubrolabiatus . L. bicolor is notice- 
ably shyer than the other species, however, 
and individual fish usually swim away as a 
swimmer approaches; thus it is possible that 
such behavior occurs. 
The three species of Labroides which are 
found in the Society Islands, Tuamotus, and 
Marquesas, L. dimidiatus , L. bicolor , and L. 
rubrolabiatus , are frequently seen near one 
another and rarely exhibit territoriality. On 
one occasion I observed all three together 
around a single small coral head. At Takaroa 
in the Tuamotus L. dimidiatus and L. rubro- 
labiatus were both seen to pick at the body of 
the parrot fish, Scarus harid Forskal, at the 
same time. In Moorea a five-foot moray eel 
of the species Gymnothorax javanicus was ob- 
served lying nearly motionless entirely in the 
open beside a small head of coral and being 
picked over simultaneously by two adult 
Labroides, one L. dimidiatus and the other L. 
bicolor . Until the small labrids were seen, the 
eel’s position was perplexing, for morays are 
rarely seen free from their holes in the coral 
during the day unless in rapid transit from 
one hole to another. L. dimidiatus has thrice 
been observed to peck briefly at the bodies of 
adult L. bicolor; twice the dimidiatus were of 
about equal size as the bicolor (Fig. 5), and 
the remaining time definitely smaller. 
Generally, individuals of the species of 
Labroides tend fishes larger than themselves, 
juveniles 'Taking care” of the smaller reef 
fishes. It is by no means rare, however, to see 
species of Labroides picking at fishes smaller 
than themselves. Conversely, tiny juveniles 
have been frequently seen busily working 
over the surface of fishes ten times or more 
their size. Several times L. dimidiatus 20 mm. 
Fig. 5. Labroides bicolor, (on right) being "serviced” 
by L. dimidiatus. Reproduced from 16 mm. movie film 
taken in the lagoon of Takaroa, Tuamotus. 
or less in standard length have been seen 
in association with adult groupers ( Cephalo - 
pholis argus Bloch and Schneider) 200 to 
300 mm. in standard length and L. bicolor of 
about the same small size with full-grown 
squirrel fishes ( Myripristis spp.). 
At Takaroa an adult L. bicolor was ob- 
served to swim after a six-foot shark of the 
species Triaenodon obesus (Ruppell) and to 
make a few hasty pecks at the dorsal part of 
the body. 
Labroides phthirophagus, new species 
PL 1A 
holotype: U. S. Natl. Mus. No. 164466, a 
male specimen, 68.0 mm. in standard length 
and 84.0 mm. in total length, collected by 
J. Pvandall with a spear in 7 feet of water, 
about 100 yards offshore from the Waikiki 
branch of the Hawaii Marine Laboratory, 
Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, on March 1, 
1955. 
paratypes: U. S. Natl. Mus. No. 164469, 
69.0 mm. in standard length, collected by 
J. Randall with a spear in 5 feet of water in 
