Hexabranchus sanguineus or Djibouti Giant?

September 17, 2007
From: Edward Dixon

Hello again sir.
Back from Wakatobi where, while diving at about 65 feet on either Lorenzo's Delight or Spiral Corner (TBC), I found this massive Spanish Dancer on the back wall of an undercut during a day dive. I was amazed at its size. I believed it to be over 2 feet long, and called my dive buddy Seth down to put his hand in as a reference. Was using a 60 macro and the dancer was at least 3-5 feed deep in the undercut, so Seth's hand is probably 10-12 inches from the body. When we came up, Wendy the guide said it might have been one of the Djibouti Giants ... I tried to take various shots of the rhinopores, gills, etc. but it was challenging because it was so deep in the undercut. Beautiful and awe-inspiring whatever it was...got a lot of high-fives on the boat after the dive.

Locality: Wakatobi, 65 feet, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Banda Sea, 02 September 2007, Lorenzo's Delight or Spirial Corner (Walls). Length: minimum 24 inches. Photographer: EFDixon.

Lots of beautiful slugs and flatworms there... see http://www.flickr.com/photos/efdixon/sets/72157601877715362/ for more from my trip.

Cheers --
EFD

efdixon@yahoo.com

Dixon, E.F., 2007 (Sep 17) Hexabranchus sanguineus or Djibouti Giant?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20682

Dear Ed,

Its definitely Hexabranchus sanguineus. It seems in some places this species has a reputation for growing rather large. I comment on the large ones [about 2 feet long] from Djibouti in an earlier message which reports large animals from Fiji [#2965] - another place where 'giants' have been found quite often.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Sep 17). Comment on Hexabranchus sanguineus or Djibouti Giant? by Edward Dixon. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20682

Factsheet

Hexabranchus sanguineus

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