Night dive at the Four Seasons #HouseReef .

The #spanishdancer is a large dorid nudibranch which can grow up to a #maximum length of 60 cm. However, the commonly observed #size is between 20 and 30 cm long. Its body #coloration is generally orange-red speckled with multiple #small white #dots but it also can be uniformly bright red or yellow with red scattered spots. Its body is soft and flattened, the anterior dorsal portion has a pair of retractable rhinophores and the posterior part has six contractile #gills inserted independently in the #body . The pair of oral tentacles are constituted by a #fin flexible membrane provided with large #digital lobes.

In a #normal #situation when the #animal is crawling, the #edges of its mantle are curled upwards creating a peripheral blister. If the animal is disturbed, it unfolds its edges and can #swim through contractions and undulations of the #body to move away from the disturbing #element . Its common name, #Spanish dancer, comes from this particular #defense .

Juveniles are rather whitish to #yellowish with multiple purplish #points and orange rhinophores and #gills .

The Spanish #dancer is widespread throughout the #tropical and subtropical #waters of the #IndoPacific area from the eastern coasts of #Africa , #RedSea included, to #Hawaii and from south #Japan to #Australia .

It likes #rocky and #coralreefs with many #sponges and #shelters from 1 to 50 meters #deep .

During #daytime , the Spanish dancer hides away from the light in the crevices of its #natural #habitat to only come out late at #night . It feeds on #various species of sponge. Like all nudibranchs, it is hermaphrodite and its #bright #red to #pink egg #ribbon has a #spiral #shape related to the size of the animal so relatively large. The latter is coveted by some other species of nudibranch as Favorinus tsuruganus or Favorinus japonicus. The #Emperor shrimp , Periclimenes imperator, is a commensal shrimp that is commonly found living on Hexabranchus sanguineus.

For more #information and #bookings please contact: sinai.blues@fourseasons.com


Source: #Wikipedia

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