Will a peppermint shrimp clean fish?

[keithdoc]

I've noticed some weird behavior by my peppermint shrimp. During feeding time (when he comes out on the bottom, instead of hanging from the rockwork) he seems to want to "feel" my helfrich's firefish. The fish doesn't seem to mind the antennae, but won't stay in one place long enough for anything else to happen.

Is the shrimp attempting to clean the fish? He seems to be fixated on that one fish, never showing any real interest in the 2 clowns that are in the tank. Of course, I just noticed this tonight, so I may have missed other opportunities.

Any thoughts?

 

[DaveAngie79]

sound like he might, i also have never heard of this.
i put one in my tank about 6-7 months ago have haven't really seen him since, is yours out alot?

 

[THB]

I have a pair in my seahorse tank, they appear to clean the ponies.

 

[THB]

Gorgeous helfrichi,in my top 5 most wanted.

 

[keithdoc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9093116#post9093116 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DaveAngie79
sound like he might, i also have never heard of this.
i put one in my tank about 6-7 months ago have haven't really seen him since, is yours out alot?

I see him a bit during the day, and especially at feeding. At night, if the moon lights are on, he swims all around the tank like a mad man. He's always hanging off the rockwork during the day. He's a pretty social little guy.

 

[sarahkucera]

I have seen my peppermints a grand total of once during the daylight during the several months they have been in my tank.
At night it's a different story and they come out looking for dinner.
The queen spawns about every two weeks so I let them stay in the tank even though the queen demands special attention. She comes out looking for the giant claw every night in the same spot. I only feed her on nights the nems get fed so she leaves them alone.
<img src="http://www.midnightmadness.org/sarah/saltwater/012307/DSC05618.JPG" width=400 height=356>


<img src="http://www.midnightmadness.org/sarah/saltwater/012307/DSC05620.JPG" width=732 height=466>

 

[matter1331]

peppermints can perform commensal duties similair to that of a skunk cleaner shrimp, however it's not as common. Mine would always hop on my hand when it would go in and I could feel them pulling on little peices of dead skin.