inhambane — 27 October 2025
- Location seen
- inhambane, mozambique
- Date seen
- 2025-10-27
Hexabranchus sanguineus
Spanish Dancer
© Di Syrett / MacroDivers.com
About this species
- Current scientific name
- Hexabranchus sanguineus
- Common name
- Spanish Dancer
- Order
- Nudibranchia - Doridoidea (Dorids)
- Type
- phanerobranchia
- Genus
- Hexabranchus
- Species
- sanguineus
- Average size
- 600 mm
- Colours
- white, orange, red
- Pattern
- spots
- Body shape
- Robust
- Rhinophores
- Horizontal
- Gills
- External gill plume
Geographic Distribution
Indo-Pacific.
Identification
A very, very large slug. Variation in colour. The animals we saw in Mozambique (and we saw many) were orange with red spots. I have only ever seen red ones before. The gills consist of six separate gills (hence the name hexabranchus). They do not retract. The rhinophores are lamellate and do retract.
Behaviour / Habitat
This is one of the nudibranchs that is common to see swimming with its 'skirts' floating in the water (which is how it got its common name). It is also often seen with a commensal shrimp.
General Notes
The juvenile of this species is quite different to the adult. It has a white body with purple spots, orange gills and rhinophores. Look at the gills - if there are six individual gills around the anus it is a juvenile Hexabranchus sanguineus.