We measured the visual response of three coral reef fish: the barracuda Sphyraena helleri, the UV-sensitive planktivorous damselfish Abudefduf abdominalis, and the herbivorous surgeonfish Ctenochaetus strigosus. These species were selected because their visual systems differ markedly, especially in their number of different types of cone photoreceptor [15] and in their sensitivity to UV wavelengths. In addition, they have all been observed to visit cleaning stations (K.L.C. and A.S.G., unpublished data), and they inhabit different niches of the coral reef [16].