The biggest nudibranch in the ocean. Up to 60cm long — and swims by flapping its body like a flamenco dress.
Spanish dancers are the largest nudibranchs in the world — up to 60 cm of vivid red body with a yellow margin. When threatened or moving between coral, they swim by undulating the entire body's outer margin in flowing waves, exactly like a flamenco dancer's skirt.
They host commensal emperor shrimp (Periclimenes imperator) on the body — small white-and-red shrimp that ride along on the nudibranch and pick parasites in return for protection.
Reliable across the Indo-Pacific: Maldives, Andaman, Bali, Red Sea, Komodo. Night dives produce the active swimming displays; daytime they fold up tighter against coral.
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1 destination across SE Asia — peak seasons vary by location, so plan your trip around the right destination AND the right month.
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