Spanish Dancer congregation in Florida

June 7, 2002
From: Dr. Ray McAllister

About once a year a congregation of Spanish Dancers occurs in canals in Pompano Beach Florida. We see dozens at this time and at low tide go out to release the ones caught on sloping seawalls, docks and boat lifts. If someone is interested, contact me and I will notify them next time it happens.

As an aside, 20 years ago the sea floor in 20 feet of water was covered with many hundreds of "mango seeds". After wondering who ate all these mangos, I dove down and oicked one up. They were a biocenosis of gray green nudibranchs by the hundreds. I have never before or since seen this particular nudibranch in Florida waters (or anywhere else). The following Saturday I went back to the spot and could find not a single nudibranch, living or dead! This species (for non-mango eaters, is about 5 or 6 inches long and 3/4 of an inch thick, just like the seeds.
Dr. Ray McAllister, Prof. Emeritus, Ocean Engineering

dinodivr@bellsouth.net

McAllister, R., 2002 (Jun 7) Spanish Dancer congregation in Florida. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7150

Dear Ray,
Thanks for these observations. Some photos would be very welcome. I assume by 'Spanish Dancer' you are talking about the colourful nudibranch Hexabranchus morsomus. I don't have a photo of it on the Forum but it looks quite similar to the common Indo-West Pacific species Hexabranchus sanguineus. If your animal was a Hexabranchus then your observations are quite interesting because I did not know either species 'swarmed'. Common names can be a problem because sometimes "Spanish Dancer" is used for any swimming Sea Slug, which raises the possibility that you are talking about a Sea Hare. There are two species Aplysia brasiliana and Aplysia moriowhich are commonly reported to 'swarm' in Florida.

Concerning your 'mango seeds'. Its possible you are describing another sort of Sea Hare, Bursatella leachii, which is about the right size, can be found swarming in Florida, lives on soft muddy sand, and can't swim.

Look forward to your reply,
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Jun 7). Comment on Spanish Dancer congregation in Florida by Dr. Ray McAllister. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7150

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