Macro
Spanish Dancer
Hexabranchus sanguineus · Marine gastropod mollusk — family Hexabranchidae; one of the largest nudibranchs known
Most nudibranchs crawl; the Spanish dancer, disturbed, lets go of the reef and swims — mantle skirts flaring and rolling in the deep-red flamenco motion that named it. It ranks among the largest of all nudibranchs, a crimson animal that can reach forearm length, and it is almost strictly nocturnal, which makes it a signature night-dive find across the Indo-Pacific and Red Sea. By torchlight look for one plowing across open reef between sponge meals, often carrying passengers: emperor shrimp ride the mantle folds like deckhands. Its eggs are as recognizable as the animal, a rose-shaped ribbon of pink spirals fixed to hard bottom and chemically defended like the adult. Watch a voluntary swim from a respectful distance; forced performances exhaust an animal with nowhere to hide.
Dónde y cuándo ver uno
"Residente" significa que la mayoría de las inmersiones en ese destino tienen encuentros con ellos; "estacional" significa que su presencia es fiable en los meses indicados; cualquier otra cosa es un extra, no algo con lo que contar.
| Destino | Fiabilidad | Meses | Notas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharm El Sheikh & Ras MohammedEgypt | Occasional | Todo el año | |
| North & South Malé AtollsMaldives | Occasional | Todo el año | |
| Marsa Alam & the Deep SouthEgypt | Occasional | Todo el año | |
| Lembeh StraitIndonesia | Occasional | Todo el año | |
| Kona, HawaiʻiUnited States | Occasional | Todo el año |
El mejor mes, de un vistazo
Comprendiéndolos
Hábitat: Coral reefs, rubble, and lagoon slopes, sheltering by day and crossing open bottom at night between sponge meals.
Rango: Tropical Indo-Pacific and Red Sea, east to Hawaii and French Polynesia.
Comportamiento: Almost strictly nocturnal; crawls like any dorid until disturbed, then swims free with rolling flexes of its flared crimson mantle. Lays a rose-shaped pink egg ribbon on hard bottom.
Dieta: Sponges, favoring chemically defended species whose compounds it stores for its own protection.
Tamaño: normalmente alrededor de 0.25 m; documentado hasta 0.6 m (body length; most individuals run 20–30 cm).
Cómo comportarse cerca de uno
If the swimming display happens, enjoy it — but never lift, prod, or fan an animal loose to force a performance, and leave the egg roses unhandled.
Conservación
Not formally assessed; conspicuous size makes it a frequent harassment victim, which responsible operators actively brief against.
Puntos conocidos por avistamientos
Ver
Desde los canales oficiales
Best Places to Dive with Whale Sharks
Outrageously Tiny Fish
Sink or Swim? with Monét X Change | Monterey Bay Aquarium
Los vídeos son enlaces incrustados a los canales propios de sus creadores — no alojamos nada y acreditamos todo.