This is the largest
species of nudibranch, commonly known as a Spanish
Dancer, which can grow to as much as two feet in length.
This specimen is about a foot long. Spanish Dancers are
often seen swimming through the water, as this one is
(note the rhinophores on the left side of the photo, and
the gills barely visible on the right side of its body).
Their peculiar movement is fascinating for divers to
watch, as they simultaneously bend their body up and
down, and move the edges in a wavelike motion. Identification: Hexabranchus sanguineus Back to the thumbnail page |