Palate Cleanser #66, Deep Sea Version, Part 2

I really think that National Geographic Picture of the Day staff are following this blog, don't you?

Spanish Dancer Nudibranch

Photograph by David Doubilet, National Geographic

This Month in Photo of the Day: Animals

There are more than 3,000 known nudibranch species, and scientists estimate there are another 3,000 yet to be discovered. So-called Spanish dancers, like this one off the coast of New South Wales, Australia, boast some distinctions over other nudibranchs: First, they can be enormous, reaching a foot and a half (46 centimeters) long. Most nudibranchs are finger-size. Second, it can swim, a skill most of its cousins lack.

© text above photo and concept only, Bright Nepenthe, 2010