Elacatinus evelynae

Hainasengrundel ( Elacatinus evelynae )

The Hainasengrundel ( Elacatinus evelynae ) lives in the coral reefs of the Bahamas, the Lesser Antilles and northern South America. They do not take as related species in the genus Elacatinus the ecological role of Putzerlippfische from the Indo-Pacific, which are missing in the Atlantic. They are similar in their drawing the Putzerlippfischen.

Hainasengrundeln maintain solid cleaning stations on elevated, massive stony corals of the genera Colpophyllia, Diplora and Montastrea at depths up to 30 meters and live singly, in pairs or in groups, often together with the Putzergrundel ( Elacatinus genie ), which also cleans fish. Hainasengrundeln feed exclusively of parasitic small crustaceans that they eat their "customers" of the skin. The diurnal fish hide at night in their coral hideout.

The only three inches long expectant Hainasengrundeln are commercially bred for marine aquariums.