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Hexabranchus sanguineus
The Spanish Dancer is one of the largest of all nudibranchs. It is a strong swimmer (rare among nudibranchs). The species name, sanguineus, refers to its bright-red coloration, although there is also a yellow variant. This nudibranch has two modes of locomotion: crawling and swimming. When it crawls, the wide edges of the mantle (called "parapodia") are rolled up close to the body. But when it swims, the parapodia unfurl and are whirled through the water in a spectacular undulating motion (hence the widely-accepted name "Spanish Dancer").
This species is found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean and the Red Sea.
Spotted this flamboyant-looking nudibranch at a depth of 14m during a night dive at Isla Reta Beach Resort, Talikud Island, Samal, Philippines. It measured about 10cm in length.
Spotted on Apr 17, 2012
Submitted on Apr 18, 2012
5 Comments
If you want to see a recording of the Spanish Dancer check out TarahLynn's Spanish Dancer spotting
Hi Noe & Pili. Yeah that would be really cool. :)
Wow! It's a funny name! it looks huge for being a nudibranch. It would be so cool you could record one like this swimming...
Thank you, Seema!
Great pictures...