Washed up in north-western Australia

February 23, 2010
From: Sean Houlihan

Hi Bill-

I found this guy washed up on a beach in north-western Australia near Dampier years ago but I have never been able to pin it down to a genus. Can you help?

Locality: Dampier, Western Australia, June 2004. Length: 6-8 inches

Thanks!

Sean Houlihan

daenamics@gmail.com

Houlihan, S.M., 2010 (Feb 23) Washed up in north-western Australia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/23266

Dear Dae,

Nice to get an easy one now and again. Although it looks a bit sad washed up, this is the spectacular Hexabranchus sanguineus commonly known as the Spanish Dancer, because as it swims by flapping its wide colourful mantle skirt, it is reminiscence of a flamenco dancer.

In the close-up alongside which shows the circlet of gills you will see there are six which is why it was named Hexabranchus [hexa = six; branchus = gill]. The name sanguineus [= bloody] is not a reference to the great Australian adjective but to the red splashes all over the mantle skirt. Have a look at the two pages of messages on this species [Page 1, Page 2] for more information.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2010 (Feb 23). Comment on Washed up in north-western Australia by Sean Houlihan. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/23266

Factsheet

Hexabranchus sanguineus

Related messages

  1. Chromodoris or Hypselodoris?
    From: Franco De Lorenzi, March 26, 2010
  2. Hexabranchus sanguineus from sthn Queensland
    From: Gary Cobb, September 25, 2009
  3. Juvenile Hexabranchus sanguineus from Reunion Island
    From: Sully Bachel, May 8, 2009
  4. Hexabranchus sanguineus from Maui, Hawaii
    From: Chris Ryu, February 11, 2008
  5. The secret life on Hexabranchus sanguineus
    From: David Mullins, December 5, 2007
  6. Hexabranchus sanguineus or Djibouti Giant?
    From: Edward Dixon, September 17, 2007
  7. Feeding Hexabranchus sanguineus from Tofo, Mozambique
    From: Natasja Vandeperre, August 24, 2007
  8. Re: Hexabranchus sanguineus video
    From: Diane Hennelly, August 16, 2007
  9. Hexabranchus sanguineus from Mozambique [2]
    From: Natasja Vandeperre, August 11, 2007
  10. Hexabranchus sanguineus from Mozambique [1]
    From: Natasja Vandeperre, August 11, 2007
  11. Spanish Dancer from Sydney
    From: Donald Miles, July 11, 2007
  12. Re: Nudibranch from the Seychelles, Indian Ocean
    From: Jen Jenny, May 4, 2007
  13. Nudibranch from the Seychelles, Indian Ocean
    From: Jen Jenny, April 27, 2007
  14. Hexabranchus sanguineus from Bali
    From: Asther Lau, April 13, 2007
  15. Hexabranchus behaviour
    From: Sandrine Flodrops, December 4, 2006
  16. Juvenile Hexabranchus from nthn New South Wales
    From: Roxanne Fea, November 8, 2006
  17. Re: Dancing 'Spanish Dancer'
    From: Kamal El Tawil, September 1, 2006
  18. Dancing 'Spanish Dancer'
    From: Joseph De Vroe, August 25, 2006
  19. Hexabranchus sanguineus from Indonesia
    From: Kevin Lee, August 7, 2006
  20. Re: Spanish Dancer Research Paper
    From: Molly Ogden, July 29, 2006
  21. Could this be a Spanish Dancer?
    From: Brian Francisco, March 3, 2006
  22. Kissing Hexabranchus sanguineus
    From: Joseph De Vroe, November 8, 2005
  23. Hexabranchus sanguineus with one gill
    From: Joseph De Vroe, November 4, 2005
  24. Mating Hexabranchus sanguineus
    From: R. Grooters & M. Snoek, September 21, 2005
  25. Re: Juvenile Hexabranchus
    From: Colin Ogden, September 3, 2005
  26. Juvenile Hexabranchus strikes again
    From: Colin Ogden, September 2, 2005
  27. Re: Hexabranchus sanguineus from Egypt
    From: Kamal El Tawil, July 11, 2005
  28. Hexabranchus sanguineus from Madagascar
    From: Marco Angelozzi, July 4, 2005
  29. Re: Hexabranchus sanguineus from Egypt
    From: Kamal El Tawil, June 24, 2005
  30. Hexabranchus sanguineus (Spanish dancer) from Egypt
    From: Kamal El Tawil, June 7, 2005
  31. Re: Hexabranchus juvenile from the GBR
    From: Nils Anthes, January 15, 2004
  32. Hexabranchus juvenile from the GBR
    From: Nils Anthes, January 10, 2004
  33. Hexabranchus sanguineus unrolling the mantle
    From: Erwin Koehler, December 16, 2003
  34. Gills on Hexabranchus sanguineus
    From: Gary Cobb, December 11, 2003
  35. Juvenile Hexabranchus
    From: Roberto Sozzani, May 19, 2003
  36. Hexabranchus from Myanmar
    From: Mary Jane Adams, May 2, 2003
  37. Spanish Dancer Research Paper
    From: Molly Ogden, April 29, 2003
  38. Hexabranchus mating photos
    From: Bill Rudman, March 4, 2003
  39. Hexabranchus sanguineus from Lord Howe Island
    From: W.B. Rudman, January 23, 2003
  40. Hexabranchus juvenile from Bali
    From: Danny Van Belle, January 9, 2003
  41. Spanish Dancer - What can we feed it?
    From: Shawn Elston, November 18, 2002
  42. Re: Hexabranchus - its common name
    From: Constantine Mifsud, September 9, 2002
  43. Hexabranchus - its common name
    From: Jason Lewis, September 7, 2002
  44. Size of Hexabranchus
    From: Valeria Safonova, June 22, 2002
  45. Juvenile Hexabranchus sanguineus from Christmas Id
    From: W.B. Rudman, May 10, 2002
  46. Juvenile Hexabranchus sanguineus
    From: Mary Jane Adams, May 9, 2002
  47. Hexabranchus sanguineus from the Red Sea
    From: Marina Poddubetskaia , April 17, 2002
  48. A report on the Spanish Dancer
    From: Student, March 22, 2002
  49. Hexabranchus sanguineus from Bali
    From: Stuart Hutchison, March 21, 2002
  50. Hexabranchus sanguineus - oral tentacles
    From: Stuart Hutchison, March 21, 2002
  51. Are these Spanish Dancers?
    From: Reine, January 27, 2002
  52. Hexabranchus? from South Africa
    From: Allan Connell, December 17, 2001
  53. Spanish Dancer?
    From: Joyce Zwiener, December 14, 2001
  54. Spanish Dancer
    From: Belinda, September 7, 2001
  55. Swimming Hexabranchus from the Red Sea
    From: Luigi Montevecchi, August 28, 2001
  56. Eggs of Hexabranchus sanguineus
    From: Luigi Montevecchi, August 28, 2001
  57. Re: Hexabranchus 'aureomarginatus' in Hawaii
    From: John Hoover, August 3, 2001
  58. Juvenile Hexabranchus from Hawaii
    From: Scott Johnson, July 30, 2001
  59. Hexabranchus 'aureomarginatus' from Hawaii
    From: Scott Johnson, July 30, 2001
  60. Hexabranchus 'pulchellus' from Hawaii
    From: Scott Johnson, July 30, 2001

Show factsheet and all related messages